The Cold Destiny
by Luna Sealeaf
Summary: Beka and Dylan's plan have failed, and further complications arise when Harper tries to take matters into his own hands.
1. The Magician

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Response to Wired Witch's Tarot Card Challenge. I am using my deck of Tarot cards however, so there may be slight differences in names of chapters or meanings of cards.

Summary: Can't tell much without giving it all away; suffice it to say that it takes place in late Season One, will have lots of Harper (and maybe some angst too) along with a bit of Harper/Trance, though I will try to have as much Beka as possible; Dylan will also be a main character.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything (Characters, etc.) from the show Andromeda, and are not making any profit from this.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature.

The Magician

Key Words(from meaning of card): diplomacy, address,loss, self-confidence, will

_The old man cast the die once more. He smiled as the same symbols showed themselves. He consulted the pattern of the sticks, the position of the cards, just to be certain he had not misinterpreted the will of the Gods..._

_"Well?" Asked the woman beside him. The man gave a slow nod._

_"The one we need is nearby. He will arrive here soon." Now it was the woman's turn to smile._

_"Good."_

"How old did you say this message was?" Dylan Hunt, captain of the Andromeda Ascendant, asked incredulously. The cool expression of his warship's persona did not change as she repeated herself.

"Exactly seven months, one week, three days, four point ten hours, and fifty three seconds."

"So even if we do respond, we're probably too late." Dylan said with a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. As the Command Deck was empty, save the captain and the ever-present consciousness of Andromeda herself, there was no one to notice the change in tone.

"It is possible, yes." Only someone who had been onboard the Andromeda for a long time would have been able to hear the change in her voice. Andromeda prefered facts; probabilities were for lesser machines -such as calculators.

"Call the others up here and replay the message. I want their opinion before we decide what to do."

"Aye."

A few minutes later the current crew, numbering seven if one counted Andromeda's avatar; 'Rommie', assembled across Command to watch the message play out. The beautiful, exotic features of the warship faded to be replaced by a figure dressed in white. The voice was low and the message staticy. As the person speaking was hooded, it was impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

"Please, anyone who receives this message, we are begging for help. Our entire planet, P'Laraska, is in danger! I fear that if we do not get help soon, my entire people will be destroyed. It is a matter of life and death."

The message began to repeat itself and Andromeda quickly ended it, reappearing once more on the screen.

"That's it? We don't even know what the big problem is," Beka, leaning against the pilot's chair, broke the silence.

"Maybe it wasn't safe for them to say. They sounded like they were in trouble though." Trance piped up. Harper, standing beside her with folded arms, said ironically,

"Yeah that makes sense. It's not safe for them to say why they need help, but it's safe for them to ask for it? I don't buy it. Sounds like a bunch of wackos to me." Trance frowned at him slightly but Beka looked as though she agreed.

"What is this planet, P'Laraska, like?" Rev Bem interrupted. It was hard to believe that a Magog's voice could sound concerned, but anyone who had ever listened to Rev Bem speak knew it was possible. He directed his question to Rommie, ignoring the others' conjectures. Rommie did not respond immediately as she searched her data archives for information on the planet.

"P'Laraska is a Class B planet. It's solar system consists of twelve planets altogether; six of them are gas giants, and only four of the solid planets are inhabited by humans. P'Laraska is farthest from the system's sun, and has a very frigid climate. Most of the surface is covered in snow and ice."

"I do not see how it is worth saving." Tyr said from his languid position by the railing. Dylan watched them all with a thoughtful expression on his face. The past few weeks had been a rare break in the usual chaos of their lives, and it almost seemed a shame to end the unusual peace.

"But Tyr, they're asking for our help! Isn't that what we're trying to do, help people?" Trance protested indignantly as she turned to look at the Nietzschean, though her last words were said to Dylan. Harper glanced at the purple young woman next to him and a small grin made his eyes sparkle.

"Unfortunately Trance, lately every time we've tried to help people we've ended up regretting it." Beka pointed out, crossing her arms in a gesture similar to Tyr's.

"So does that mean we're just going to give up? Look the other way when people are in danger?" Trance insisted. It would have been easier to take her seriously had she not been wearing several long pink ribbons in her hair. Although the lavender silk-like shirt went nicely against her purple skin, Trance's notorious fashion sense was still evident by her wild hair-do.

"Trance is right. We should at least investigate the message; besides, by now the problem has probably already resolved itself...one way or another." Dylan tried to sound optimistic for his fellow crewmembers, but the only two who appeared to care were Trance and Rev Bem. Since Rev Bem was a Wayist it was obvious why he was concerned about the welfare of others. Trance, as usual, was a little more mysterious when it came to reasons for her actions. With a sigh, he decided to assume it was just her good heart. If she had a heart.

"Man, why couldn't this place at least have a decent ocean or two?" Harper whined dejectedly. With his casual Hawaiian shirt and khaki capris, he looked more ready for a day at the beach than a trip to a world of ice and snow.

"They do have an ocean Harper." Beka said with an innocent smile. The shorter engineer blinked in surprise.

"It's just frozen." She finished with a smirk. He rolled his eyes at her and ignored the amused expressions on everyone else's face.

"I'm still not so sure about this guys, I mean, for all we know, they could be cannibals. Maybe this cry for help is their way of reeling in food!" As the others snickered at Harper's remark Dylan punched in the coordinates for P'Laraska before turning to go rest in his quarters.

"Why are you so worried Harper -even if they are cannibals they won't eat you. You're too small to make a decent meal." Dylan heard Beka reply as he left the Deck. The others continued to tease Harper for a few more minutes before evantually wandering off.

A few hours and many slip points later, Beka announced that they had arrived at the chosen destination. Dylan, Harper, and Trance were the only other people on Command, and all looked up at the screen with curiosity. The planet P'Laraska, from space, looked like a giant glacier floating in suspension. No one said anything as they studied the mysterious world.

"Captain, we are receiving a hail." Abruptly the planet was replaced by Andromeda's form. "It says it is from the city of Sibarctic."

"Put them through," Dylan quickly replied, exchanging a wary glance with his first officer. All of them were wondering the same thing; would they be seen as friend or foe?

"Greetings Andromeda Ascendant. The Hands of the Goddess bid you welcome to our fair planet." The voice belonged to a woman but her face was partially covered by a fur-lined hood and veil, so that her features were hidden. She pronounced the words with a slight accent.

"Goddess? 'Fair planet'?" Beka said under her breath. Harper shared her look of disbelief. Dylan gave them a warning glance before answering the woman.

"Uh, thank you. I'm Captain Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant. We received a distress signal calling for help and came to see if there was anything we could do." It was hard to tell, but it almost looked like the woman on the screen was smiling.

"We are most grateful for any help you may offer us. Indeed, my people are in grave danger. To avoid civil war we requested aid from the other planets in our system, but unfortunately they are faced with their own problems. However... I believe you may be the savior we are looking for."

Dylan gave a slight, nervous laugh. Trance, however, had stepped forward suddenly so that she was in front of the main screen.

"Who are you?" She asked in an almost breathless voice. The woman on the screen slowly lifted a hand to push back the hood. Harper's jaw dropped open at the sight of a beautiful dark haired woman. She appeared to be a little older than Beka, and her face had a sharp edge to it, but her skin had a luminescent glow and her eyes glittered black.

"My name is Alba di Hielo; the Hands of the Goddess. If you are willing to help us, I beg you to come see me at Tempiale Di Neve; it is the Temple of Sibarctic, our most Holy of cities." She gave a deep nod, and then disappeared from the screen.

"Well, that wasn't weird at all." Beka remarked sarcastically.

"And we still don't know why they need our help." Dylan said with a puzzled frown.

"Who cares? Did you see her? She's gorgeous!" Harper was still gazing at the screen, the image of Alba di Hielo apparently still fresh in his mind.

"Harper!" Trance and Andromeda's voice said at the exact same moment, illiciting a laugh from Beka and a startled jump from Harper, which was followed by a sheepish grin.

"Alright, we'll go see what they want. Rev Bem should probably stay here for his own safety since we don't know how these people will react to a Magog. Any volunteers to come with me?" Dylan's gaze swept across the deck. Harper's hand shot up in the air.

"Dylan, I'd like to come as well." Trance said in a low, preoccupied voice.

"Alright. What about you Beka, up for a little hike through the snow?"

"I hate cold..." Beka made a face and then sighed as she continued, "but I admit I'm curious..." Harper gave a wicked grin.

"Careful Beka! Curiosity killed the-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Harper!" He made a face at her and Beka gave an annoyed frown. Silently, Dylan looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

Tyr agreed to come, so Rommie stayed behind with Rev while the rest prepared to leave on the Maru.

Everyone, except perhaps Tyr, was bundled up as they stepped onto the snow covered field. They had landed as close to the city as they could, and the large grey buildings were visible in the distance. The sky was a lighter shade of grey, and no distinct form of a sun was visible. The air was cold and dry, the snow powdery and wet.

"Well this place just gets better and better," Harper muttered as they began treading through the snow. It was hard to walk as the ground lay nearly two feet under the frozen water.

"No one forced you to come," Trance pointed out. They were at the end of the line, Dylan and Tyr leading in the front in order to break a path for the others.

"Yeah yeah, don't remind me." Harper muttered. The air seemed to pierce their clothing like daggers of ice, and only Tyr showed no signs of discomfort. Just as they had reached the outskirts of the city a large brown sleigh-like vehicle, powered by some invisible fuel and driven by a pale, brown haired young man, stopped before them.

"Are you from the Andromeda?" The man asked. His voice was so quiet that they had to strain their ears in order to hear them.

"Come with me, I shall take you to the Temple." The man's voice, like the woman they'd spoken to, was accented, though his more heavily so, and he said nothing else during the ride. Common did not seem to be the official language here. They piled into the vehicle, grateful for the chance to sit and rest. As they sped through the city, the buildings and the people on the streets were reduced to a less than colorful blur. At last they came to a stop in front of a white tower; it gleamed against the snowy backround, the top disappearing into the pale fogginess that was the sky.

"I don't think I like this place," Harper muttered as they stepped out of the sled, gazing up at the forboding building. After the exhilarating ride the air now seemed thick and stifling. Although the land was flat, it felt like the land was closing in on them; trapping them as easily as an avalanche.

"We won't be here long," Beka promised him before following Dylan and their escort towards the barred entrance.

"Famous last words..." Harper joked darkly.

"Whose last words?" Trance asked curiously, walking beside him.

"Hopefully not Beka's." Was all he said before stepping into the shadows of the Temple. Trance paused for a moment, considering his words. Then she shook her head in confusion and walked inside. Behind her, the door shut with a loud and heavy crash.


	2. The High Priestess

**The Cold Destiny**  
  
Author: Luna Sealeaf  
  
Response to Wired Witch's Tarot Card Challenge. I am using my deck of Tarot cards however, so there may be slight differences in names of chapters or meanings of cards.  
  
Summary: Can't tell much without giving it all away; suffice it to say that it takes place in late Season One, will have lots of Harper (and maybe some angst too) along with a bit of Harper/Trance, though I will try to have as much Beka as possible; Dylan will also be a main character.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, aren't making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.  
  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature.

The High Priestess

Key Words: Secrets, Mystery; the future as yet unrevealed

The inside of the temple was dark and, if it was possible, even colder than it had been outside.

"These people must have thicker skins than Andromeda," Harper muttered right behind Beka. She jumped at the sudden break of hushed silence. Before she could give a retort, however, the sound of a door opening could be heard, followed by muffled footsteps.

"They are asking for our help; we should have demanded they meet us on the ship. This could easily be a trap." Tyr spoke quietly to Dylan, both of whom stood a little apart from the other three.

"You just point this out now?" Dylan asked incredulously. Tyr, looking irritatingly comfortable in the frigid air, shrugged one shoulder.

"I said it could be a trap, not a threat." Dylan was barely able to reframe from rolling his eyes at the arrogant answer.

"Welcome travelers, and Goddess' blessings upon you." As one, all five crewmembers turned in surprise, Dylan and Tyr automatically reaching for their weapons. Behind them stood a ghostly figure draped in white. The voice was that of a woman's and she sounded familiar.

"Alba di Hielo, I assume?" Dylan was the first to make the connection. The woman lifted her gaze and then, just as she had done earlier onscreen, pushed back the hood.

Alba di Hielo was even more impressive in person than on a computer screen. Taller than Beka by an inch, she was thin and her skin as pale as her eyes and hair were dark. In the poor light, aided only by a scattering of wall torches, she seemed to glow, and the reflections of the fire made her eyes glitter like black ice. Harper shifted uneasily and suddenly felt that she was not nearly as attractive as he had first thought. Her beauty was the beauty of frozen things; the beauty of death derived from cold.

"And you are Captain Dylan Hunt." She gave a slight bow, arms hidden in the long sleeves of her robe and folded in front of her. She straightened to look carefully at each of the other crewmembers. Dylan studied her carefully as her gaze turned towards Trance. He thought he saw something in her eyes flicker, but it could have only been the light.

"You must introduce me to your companions." Her accent gave her voice a refined air, but there was a hollow quality to it. Shivering as her gaze rested on him, Harper edged closer to Trance. For some reason it felt warmer around her; but, he surmised, maybe it was just because she was a comforting presence in such an unwelcoming place.

"Why don't you tell us why you need our help first?" Beka suggested; her tone and stance indicating that it was more than a suggestion. Immediately Alba changed from a cat eyeing the prey it's about to toy with to a woman requesting help.

"Yes, of course, but please come with me. Such dire matters should not be discussed in such an open hall." Without waiting for their reply Alba swept past them. Dylan hesitated in case there were any objections, but the others just waited for him expectantly.

As she led them through the large arched hallways Dylan caught up to her and asked curiously,

"You said you were the 'Hands of the Goddess'...what is that exactly?"

"Please, I will explain everything in just a moment." Alba replied. Her expression seemed to be pleading for trust and patience, so Dylan nodded and was silent the rest of the way.

They had not walked very far, though Harper mumbled that his feet were beginning to go numb, when Alba stopped in front of a pair of rounded wooden doors. Pressing her hand to the lock she whispered something and the doors swung open silently.

The crew found themselves in a large and ornate room. There were fewer echoes as the ceiling was lower, and the air was slightly warmer here. A few chairs, a desk, and several tapestries provided the first glimpses of color they'd seen since arriving on P'Laraska.

Alba said a blessing in her native language –at least, it sounded like a blessing,- before taking a seat behind the desk. She motioned for them to sit as well until everyone had pulled a chair up around the desk except for Tyr.

"Now to answer your earlier question, Captain," Alba folded her hands on the desk in a business like manner.

"The religion of P'Laraska is based upon a duel divinity; that of the Goddess and God."

Tyr let out a derisive snort, inducing a glare from Dylan. Alba continued as though she had not noticed.

"P'Laraska was the last planet to be inhabited by humans. When explorers from the other, more hospitable planets, arrived they at first believed this world to be useless."

"What changed their minds?" Beka asked, more to show that she was paying attention than because she doubted Alba had been about to tell them.

"Then the explorers began experiencing visions. All of them; sometimes at different times, others simultaneously. They would dream of beings that resembled a man and a woman. They brought their tales back to their home planets where many did not believe them. So others came and when the same happened to them, people began to understand the presence of the Goddess and God."

Alba cleared her throat and quickly glanced around the faces watching her.

"To make a long story short, a religion evolved. P'Laraska became the center of the both religion and government. A hundred years or so after the founding of P'Laraska, a priest and a priestess both received visions of the Gods declaring their mortal representatives, their avatars if you will, among the people living here. I underwent the trials at a young age -after one of the clergy saw me in a vision, and it was discovered that I am the Hands of the Goddess, a title I shall hold until I die." She sighed wearily.

"It is an honor I neither asked for nor presumed to have, blessing though it is." She added these last words hastily.

"Was this history lesson, fascinating though it was," Tyr assured her sarcastically, "really relevant to what you need our help for?" the words were said in that rude-yet-still-polite manner of his. Again Dylan frowned at him, though he and the others were wondering the same thing.

"To understand the gravity of our situation it is imperative that you realize how important our religion is to the people of P'Laraska. Why, other than the Empress herself, I am the most powerful person on the planet." Alba looked very serious as she spoke. She paused after her last words and said, in a low but significant voice,

"Well, one of the most powerful..."

No one said anything for a moment until Harper suddenly broke the silence.

"Didn't you say there was a Goddess and a God? Doesn't that mean there's a God's Hand or whatever it's called?" The others glanced at him, a little surprised that he'd been paying such close attention. Alba smiled –it was a smile that sent shivers down Harper's back, and the way her eyes were now boring into him, he wished that he hadn't spoken up. Instead he settled for sitting as far back in his chair as possible, hoping her gaze would leave him.

"How...appropriate that you should point that out." Before anyone could ask what she meant by 'appropriate' Alba continued,

"You see, that is precisely why we need your aid, or indeed, the aid of any outside party. The Hands of the God, or High Priest, if you will, has been captured; held hostage by none other than the Empress herself."

"You need our help to rescue some kidnapped fool? I think," Tyr's voice dripped with sarcasm, yet still managed to have a dangerous edge to it. "That we have more important, leastwise more interesting, things to do with our time."

Once more the imperious manner faded from Alba as she pleaded for them to assist her.

"You do not understand! With our God's Chosen missing our people are in utter terror! To mistreat the Hands of the God or Goddess is to invite the displeasure of the Gods themselves. Many, including myself, fear that if he is not found soon, the results will be catastrophic."

Again there was silence. Dylan exchanged pained looks with Beka.

"Forgive me, Alba, but you seem like an intelligent person. Do you really think that losing your 'Hands of God' will destroy your people?" Dylan could not bring himself to believe that the people of P'Laraska could be that superstitious.

"It doesn't matter whether it's true or not," Alba didn't sound the least bit offended. "But the people believe it is true, and they will be destroyed. The only difference is whether they destroy themselves in a panic, or if our God really does take His vengeance." By the gleam in her eye, it was obvious she thought she had Dylan cornered into helping her.

She was right.

"Would you give us a moment?" He asked politely. Alba, dripping with humble triumph, graciously stood and left the room. Immediately the other crewmembers turned to Dylan.

"You have got to be kidding me Dylan! We're not actually going to help these religious fanatics, are we?" Beka asked. Dylan looked defensive against the accusing eyes watching him.

"Look, what she said was right. These people need help, it doesn't matter if what they believe is true or not. And maybe if we help them they'd consider joining the Commonwealth. A whole system of stable planets signing the Charter! It's something to think about at the least, isn't it?"

"I don't think 'stable' is the right term to describe them." Tyr replied in a low voice.

"If you don't want to help, feel free to go back to the Andromeda." Tyr looked as though he wanted to do just that, but as the silence stretched, Alba suddenly returned.

"Forgive me, but we received a message. Apparently the Empress knows you are here; she would like to meet with you." Alba handed Dylan a slip of folded paper which he glanced over. With a sigh he turned to the others.

"Ok, if we meet with her maybe we can convince her to give up this High Priest of theirs. Trance and Beka, you two stay here. Harper and Tyr are with me." They nodded, though no one looked particularly happy at the thought of staying longer than they had to.

"Wouldn't it be easier if just you went, Captain?" Alba's sweet voice reminded them that she was still there. Sensing that Alba wasn't making the suggestion merely for their benefit, Dylan chose his words carefully.

"I may need help convincing your Empress to let the Priest go." Alba glanced at Harper and frowned in what looked like disappointment to Dylan's eye, but then quickly bowed and left the room once more.

"That woman is up to something." Beka muttered.

"Why do I get the feeling that we won't find out what it is until it's too late?" Harper complained.

"Well at least you won't be staying here long." Trance said encouragingly. "Maybe the palace will be warmer."

"Yeah, maybe..." Harper echoed, the image of Alba di Hielo's eyes looking at him, as though to his very soul, made him shudder.

A/N: From now on I think I'll update this faster, since the first few chapters are more setting up the plot rather than stuff actually happening. I know there was mostly just Dylan in this one, but I promise that more stuff (involving Harper and the others) will soon be occurring. Thanks for reading! –Luna Sealeaf


	3. The Empress

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Response to Wired Witch's Tarot Card Challenge. I am using my deck of Tarot cards however, so there may be slight differences in names of chapters or meanings of cards.

Summary: Can't tell much without giving it all away; suffice it to say that it takes place in late Season One, will have lots of Harper (and maybe some angst too) along with a bit of Harper/Trance, though I will try to have as much Beka as possible; Dylan will also be a main character.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature.

The Empress

Key Words: Action, initiative, the unknown; clandestine; doubt, ignorance

Harper stamped his feet and pulled his jacket around himself tighter. His very eyes felt like they were freezing inside his head. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"What the heck's taking them so long?" He whined under his breath.

"Quiet," Tyr said curtly, and Harper managed a decent glare at the Nietzschean before closing his eyes against the cold air.

Dylan, Harper, and Tyr had taken a small airship (the fare paid graciously by the High Priestess, Alba, herself) from the city of Sibarctic to the capital of P'Laraska; Herz d'Eises. The journey had been short. Indeed, looking around, the only difference between the capital and Sibarctic was that here there were more buildings, and no white tower. The sky was still grey and the land still flat and white, although in the distance one could see a line of tall jagged mountains.

"You; come with us!" The soldier who had met them at the gates of the Palace –an ungainly structure of what looked like mismatched stones- returned with their invitation from the Empress.

"Keep your eyes open," Dylan said quietly to his companions.

"No need to worry about that; I think my eyelids are frozen to my forehead..." Harper whispered back. Dylan barked a laugh, Tyr ignored him, and they followed the gruff man who'd spoken to them.

The inside of the Palace was less than inspiring. Thankfully it was warmer than the Tempiale De Neve, though to their dismay the clothing here was as thin as the peoples' of Sibarctic. The style made a person appear bundled up, but looking closer you could see that the cloth was thin, like some variation of cotton.

"What do we know about their Empress?" Dylan questioned Tyr. Before leaving the temple they had contacted Rommie and asked her about any records concerning P'Laraska. The latest information was at least a hundred years old, so they had instead asked Alba –cautiously, about Her Majesty.

"The priestess warned us that she was clever and devious." By the tone of Tyr's voice it was clear that he didn't think much of Alba's advice.

"Well, I guess we'll find out what she meant by that," Dylan said in disappointment. He'd have preferred to know exactly what he was dealing with. Suddenly remembering something and pausing half a step, he glanced behind him, opened his mouth-

"I know I know! I'll keep quiet, I promise!" Harper said with a scowl before Dylan could speak. The captain grinned and resumed his pace, feeling greatly reassured by Harper's promise.

Their guide led them to a vast empty hall; stone pillars divided the room into three parts, with the two sections on each end half the size of the center section. At the back of this middle area were stone steps, leading up to a stone platform. On the platform were various carved seats; in the middle, and sitting slightly before the others, were two chairs that were obviously thrones, painfully unadorned though they were.

In one of the thrones was seated a girl.

"You have got to be kidding me." Dylan muttered, eyes wide with indignation at the youth in front of them. He stopped walking so suddenly that Harper nearly walked into him. The soldier halted, turned, and said in his heavily accented voice,

"Her Imperial Majesty Cielde Scintillement, Empress of P'Laraska." The name was said so quickly and with such a strange pronunciation, that even Tyr silently hoped they would not need to repeat it. It was rather pretty in a strange way; reminding Dylan of the ancient Earth dialect French.

"Thank you for coming, Captain Dylan Hunt. I know to outsiders our situation must seem trivial, but it is truly a crisis." The words were said with an anxious quality that made her seem younger than her years –which amounted to nineteen, if Dylan recalled what little information they had received about P'Laraska's monarch. With wide green eyes, and silky honey-brown hair, the Empress looked more like a girl of sixteen. Tyr's disgust for a planet that allowed a child to rule them was evident by the faint sneer on his face.

Deciding to get right to the point, Dylan said calmly,

"Alba di Hielo seems to think that you're holding the Hands of the God against his will."

A look of innocent shock came over Cielde's face, and her next words were said with the utmost sincerity.

"The Lady Alba is wrong! I would never capture a Chosen one of the God's! I am a most pious woman, I assure you. Indeed, I am perhaps more concerned about his welfare than she is." The words slipped out of her mouth, and Cielde looked horrified; a less trained person might have clapped a hand over their mouth.

"An odd thing to say," Tyr muttered under his breath. The Empress heard him however, and a faint blush crept over her cheeks.

"If –if it will aid you in your search, which you are doing out of the goodness of your hearts –though of course we shall reward you handsomely- then you should know that Pegno Gefallener, the Hands of the God, and I were in love. We wished to marry." She cast her eyes down in a demure manner.

"It's like a freakin' holo story!" Harper exclaimed quietly.

"This could be the key to finding him, Your Majesty," Dylan said, trying to ignore Harper's comment. If the Empress and the Hands of the God –two very powerful people- were secretly in love, perhaps someone else found out about it and didn't want the two marrying?

Cielde's eyes shined with tears as she raised her head, leaning forward in her throne just a little.

"Oh please Good Travelers! I implore you, -no, I beg you, please find Pegno! He means everything to me! I will aid you in any way I can; money, transports, influence!" Her voice had a desperate quality that worried Dylan, and he raised a hand to deflect her words.

"I assure you, we will do everything we can."

"Everything within the laws of P'Laraska," She amended for him.

"Of course..." Dylan thought her words were a little curious, considering how desperate she'd seemed a moment ago; but then, she was the ruler, and could hardly sanction illegal actions. Thanking them and giving them leave to go wherever they needed, Cielde then left.

"Are we done here? My butt's going numb." Harper couldn't see why he hadn't been allowed to return to the Andromeda and was feeling just a bit cranky at standing around in cold places for so long.

"I think it's time we returned to the Andromeda." Dylan said quietly.

"Are we giving up then?" Tyr sounded suspiciously glad at the thought.

"No; we'll pick up Beka and Trance, see if they heard anything useful, and then find out where to go next."

"Brilliant plan Dylan, absolutely brilliant. Genius I'd say, we should leave immediately-"

"Stop it Harper; you're not freezing to death, and it'll only take a few hours to get back to Andromeda." Dylan couldn't help but grin as he spoke, leading the way towards the entrance of the Palace.

"This place is so boring," Beka was pacing in the small guest room she and Trance had been given. Against the gray stone walls and floor the two women stood out like a rainbow against a dark sky.

"I mean, we haven't even learned anything, except that these people are religious fanatics." While Beka paced and thought out loud, Trance was sitting on one of the small beds in the room.

"Yes, but they do have beautiful singing," Trance pointed out. Beka smiled briefly as she paused in her frantic walking.

"Let's go talk to Alba again; I want to have something to report back to Dylan, other than that this whole mission is just a waste of time."

"We don't know it's a waste of time Beka, maybe these people are important." But Trance stood up to follow the taller woman out the door.

"Is that a hint or something Trance?"

"How should I know?" The purple girl's eyes were very wide as she walked behind Beka.

"How indeed." Beka muttered, though she said this with a friendly smile.

Passing a rigid line of priests and priestesses, they made their way to Alba di Hielo's office. Without knocking Beka entered, striding inside confidently. Alba was sitting behind the desk reading a piece of faded yellow paper; she seemed to be frowning in concentration, but then smiled as she read the last part of the paper.

"Good morning," Beka stated politely –well, politely for Beka, at any rate. At the sound of her voice Alba's head snapped up, the smile disappearing instantly –or rather, changing; going from one of anticipation to a pleasant, welcoming smile. Smoothly the paper was folded and put away.

"Good morning. Can I help you?" Always suspicious when people offered help so quickly, Beka took a moment before answering. During that moment Trance spoke up.

"What were you reading? It looked important." The words were said in that child-like manner that dissuaded offense.

"Oh, just a letter." Alba said in an off-hand manner. Now her smile seemed frozen onto her face.

"From who?" Beka continued, trying hard to sound like Trance and not as though it was an interrogation. The priestess' eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"'From whom'" she corrected first, with an annoyingly smug look, "From a friend. A fellow follower of the Gods." She finally replied. Beka and Trance exchanged looks.

"I see. Do they know anything about your 'Hands of the God' fellow?" It was hard to tell, but Beka could have sworn that Alba flinched.

"I'm afraid not. He is something of an oracle however, so perhaps he could help you if you asked him."

"I'll remember that." Beka smiled as though this were truly helpful information. After a few more exchanges of polite banter, and a few innocent questions about general information that could help with their 'investigation', Beka and Trance returned to their room. Suddenly a beeping sound filled the air.

"Beka, it's Dylan!" Trance said excitedly. Leaning forward to look at the device on Trance's wrist, Beka grinned slightly as Dylan's voice filled the small room.

"Beka, Trance, we're on our way back to Sibarctic. We'll meet you at the Temple and then return to Andromeda and figure out what to do next. Dylan out."

A/N: Thanks so much for all the nice reviews!! They really do help me to write faster! (Too bad I'm too lazy to thank each person individually. But you know who you are :P )

Next chapter should be coming soon, and it'll be the last of the semi-boring ones, or at least, it should be. Thanks for reading! –Luna Sealeaf


	4. The Emperor

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Response to Wired Witch's Tarot Card Challenge. I am using my deck of Tarot cards however, so there may be slight differences in names of chapters or meanings of cards.

Summary: Can't tell much without giving it all away; suffice it to say that it takes place in late Season One, will have lots of Harper (and maybe some angst too) along with a bit of Harper/Trance, though I will try to have as much Beka as possible; Dylan will also be a main character.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature.

The Emperor

Key Words: Power, a great person, aid, reason

They returned to the Andromeda, everyone grateful for the warmth and comfort that had been lacking on P'Laraska.

"Ah Andromeda! I don't ever want to leave you again," Harper sighed happily as he shook the last few drops of frozen water from his jacket. Rommie was waiting on Command to greet them and smiled at his comment.

"Then maybe you'll actually have time to get some work done."

"Hey, as long as it's warm, I don't care what I'm doing. Though I could think of a few nicer ways to un-thaw than just hanging out with boring old wires..." he grinned suggestively and Rommie rolled her eyes.

"I take it your mission was successful?" Rev Bem glided into the room, his hands –or claws- folded serenely in front of him.

"Well..." Beka glanced at Dylan, not sure how to answer.

"We haven't exactly started yet." Quickly Dylan summarized all that they had learned on their journey to the icy planet.

"Yeah Rev, this is one case where I totally support with Wayism. No Wayist would lose a Hand or a Foot of the Divine." Harper, having relaxed in the warm setting, said sarcastically.

"A Wayist would never place one Child of the Divine over another in the first place." Rev Bem replied in a disapproving tone.

"Unless we can convert them all to Wayism, we're going to have to find this boy –Pegno; I think the Empress called him?" Dylan interjected.

"Why must we help them at all? It's none of our business." Tyr was leaning against the weapons console and the look of elegant boredom on his face conflicted with his usual cat-like awareness.

"Because they'll destroy themselves if we don't." Tyr didn't think Dylan's answer was a good one but he said nothing more.

"I think I know where we can start." Beka suddenly cut in. She met everyone's gaze with a mischievous smile.

"Trance? The paper, please." With an uncertain look Trance reached into a small pocket on the inside of her sparkly pants. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Beka.

"This," Beka gave the paper a slight wave. "Is a letter to her Holiness from some mystical guy called Prévoyant." Clearing her throat, Beka unfolded the paper and read:

"To the Lady Alba, By the Grace of the Gods; Hands of the Goddess.

My Lady; the signs are exact and impossible to misinterpret. The Will of the Gods will soon be known to you. I send my condolence for the disappearance of Lord Pegno. Please do not fear; the way of the Gods is mysterious, even to their highest servants. Have faith.

Ever your servant and friend,

_Prévoyant_

_Ñ›"Ñ—""™ ï»ºÐ±Ñ‚ÑžÑŸ' Ñ‹Ð¥ζÏ _


	5. The Hierophant

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Response to Wired Witch's Tarot Card Challenge. I am using my deck of Tarot cards however, so there may be slight differences in names of chapters or meanings of cards.

Summary: Can't tell much without giving it all away; suffice it to say that it takes place in late Season One, will have lots of Harper (and maybe some angst too) along with a bit of Harper/Trance, though I will try to have as much Beka as possible; Dylan will also be a main character.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature.

The Hierophant

Key Words:  Marriage alliance, captivity, servitude

Finding Tazione Mauvaise turned out to be the easiest part of their mission thus far. It was no secret where he and a growing group of followers were; camped out on the barren tundra in the south.

Never had Harper been so grateful for good inner terrestrial transport. The airships on P'Laraska were efficient, fast, and most importantly, warm.

"So what exactly do we plan on saying to this guy? 'Hello, sorry to bother you, we need the Hands of the God back so we can hand him over to your enemies. Thanks.'?" Once he was reasonably thawed Harper's curiosity resurfaced.

"All we're trying to find out is why they've captured Pegno. Once we find that out, we'll worry about how to get him out." Dylan patiently explained from the seat opposite of Harper.

"Assuming Tazione even has Pegno. For all we know, that oracle guy could be even crazier than you, Harper." Beka, sitting next to Dylan, flashed the engineer a smile.

"The word you're looking for is brilliant, Beka; we'll let the old guy keep the title of Craziest." His words were followed by silence as they recalled the Prévoyant's words.

"What are you reading Trance?" Dylan suddenly asked. Trance's face was hidden by a large piece of unfolded paper that was covered in strange symbols, Common words in small letters underneath each line. Trance lowered the paper with a fascinated look on her face.

"It's information about P'Laraska. Did you know that this is their summer?" The others smiled in faint amusement.

"This is not summer Trance, believe me." Harper grumbled, settling back into the seat.

"Well I think it's kind of pretty, away from the cities." She replied. Harper, eyes closed, merely shrugged. The rest of the journey was passed in silence.

For some reason Harper had supposed that, being rebels and heretics and all, Tazione and his group would be hiding. This wasn't the case; instead, large tipi styled gray tents filled the plain. The transport didn't take them close enough to see any details, but once they'd hiked the rest of the distance, it became clear that the rebels felt they had nothing to hide.

As they approached the camp, it suddenly occurred to Harper that they were walking straight into –presumably- enemy territory. Instinctively he looked around for places to duck behind in case they needed to dodge a few bullets. Other than the tents; the land was completely flat –frozen, and flat. Keeping that in mind, Harper dropped back a few steps until he was behind Dylan. This was Dylan's problem, after all. Harper wasn't even sure why Dylan had insisted on him coming.

Harper's resentment increased when heavily clothed men –with guns, no less- surrounded the small group. Beka's hands went straight to her gun, but Dylan stopped her with a look. Their captain was holding his empty hands up in the air a bit, to show he wasn't holding a weapon. Harper exchanged a worried look with Trance.

"We came to speak with your leader; Tazione Mauvaise?" Dylan had hardly gotten the words out before one of the men surrounding them shouted something in their native language; Harper didn't understand the meaning of the words, but his harsh tone was clear. Casual visitors were not welcome.

Just when it looked like they were going to have to fight, another heavily clad man strode towards the group. Other people upon hearing the commotion had left their tents and were standing around to watch what was going on. The guards surrounding the crewmembers spoke to the man approaching, who made a careless gesture with one hand.

"You'll have to forgive this poor welcoming, yes? We are not so used to strangers here." As he came closer the man stopped in front of Dylan and spoke with a broad smile. His skin was dark but his hair a bright blonde; he was at least as tall as Dylan, if not taller.

"I assume you're Tazione...?" Dylan replied cautiously. If it were possible, the man's smile broadened and he gave a dramatic bow that nearly made Harper sick to his stomach.

"I'm flattered that you know of me, Captain Hunt." Tazione straightened and swept his gaze across the other three. "And these are your friends, yes?" Trance gave a nervous smile while Beka and Harper shared identical cold looks. Dylan seemed a little uncertain that Tazione knew who they were.

"Despite what you may have heard about me Captain Hunt, I am a very powerful man. And I have many loyal spies." Once more his vibrant blue eyes looked across Beka, Harper, and Trance. Harper had the strange feeling that Tazione's gaze lingered on him, but decided it must be his imagination.

"But come, you must be cold out here. Let us talk inside, as we are civilized men –and women, yes?" Without waiting for an answer Tazione turned and began walking back to his tent. After giving each other uneasy looks the crew of the Andromeda, or at least four of its members, followed.

The inside of Tazione's tent was surprisingly warm and comfortable. The man might have been a rebel, but he was obviously a rich one. In fact, what with the silk pillows strewn around and the warm, soft blankets lining the walls, it was the most elegant place they had yet seen on P'Laraska.

Tazione was evidently comfortable in their presence; lying casually on his side among the richly embroidered pillows. His guests were a little more uncertain and took seats on the floor awkwardly.

"I must say, Lord Tazione, that for a man who's apparently ill favored by his government, you seem to be living quite comfortably." Dylan spoke cautiously, not wanting to sound like he was offending the man. Tazione just smiled and gave a short laugh.

"You might say that I have...friends...in high places. Very high places." His eyes widened with amusement and Harper's dislike for him increased.

"Well, whatever differences there are between you and the government, it's none of my business. However I do represent the Commonwealth, and we were asked to assist in locating a high religious official. I don't suppose you know anything about the Hands of the God who's been missing?" They watched the rebel leader closely, ready to analyze his reply to see how much he would truthfully tell them. His answer caught them all off guard.

"You have come to the right place Captain Hunt. Pegno Gefallener was indeed residing with me for quite some time. Would you care to see him?" His words were said as politely and nonchalantly as before, but something in his manner had changed.

"You kidnapped him? Is that why you're in exile here?" Beka asked sharply. Tazione got to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. Beka refused it, crossing her arms as she too stood up.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Tazione let his hand drop to his side and pushed back the doors of the tent.

"Something's not right." Harper whispered to Trance as they followed Beka and Dylan behind Tazione. She gave him a worried look. Worried looks from Trance were usually bad things. Harper moved his hand to the gauss gun at his side and watched the people around him carefully.

They walked for about ten minutes before reaching the center of the camp. Several fires were burning and people milled about; some carrying weapons, others performing unknown tasks.

In the center of square were two high wooden poles. A chain was attached to each pole. Hanging from the chains was a body; the man's hands had been tied to the chain on each pole high above his head, and the position he was in did not look comfortable.

"Our friends wish to speak with the Hands of the God!" Tazione unexpectedly shouted. The people nearby laughed and stared at Dylan and the others with cold, hard faces.

"Dylan, I'm not liking this," Beka muttered under her breath. Dylan was walking towards the man held between the posts. Angrily he turned to Tazione.

"Is this Pegno?" The rebel nodded. With a sound of disgust mingled with anger Dylan reached out to touch the man. People laughed when he flinched. Bewildered, he turned to the members of his crew.

"He's dead."

Before any of them had a chance to comprehend what this might mean, Dylan's words seemed to be a signal for armed guards to surround them. Again. This time instead of just circling them, the men overpowered the four crewmates and swiftly began to tie them up.

"Why are you doing this Tazione? You don't gain anything from our capture, or from killing Pegno." Dylan shouted as he struggled with the guards. Tazione watched the proceedings with amusement.

"You really should stay out of other peoples' business Captain Hunt. Though in this case, I thank you. You delivered exactly what we needed. Must be fate, yes?" Neither Dylan or the others were given a chance to answer as they were dragged away.

When Harper realized that the other three were being taken in one direction and he in another, he increased his attempts to free himself. Muttering something unintelligible under their breath, one of the guards hit him solidly over the head and Harper went limp.

It was hard to tell when he awoke, for the darkness was the same whether his eyes were closed or open. As consciousness slowly came back to him however, Harper realized two things; one, he was alone, and two, he was chained to a short pole inside a tent. His wrists had been encircled with a short chain, and then his arms placed over the pole, leaving him in a very uncomfortable position.

After struggling and swearing for a few minutes Harper finally gave up and instead began to look at his surrounding. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he realized he was in a fairly large tent; probably one of the rooms belonging to Tazione. But why?

He heard footsteps approaching and felt himself tense, wondering what the hell was going on. The only thing he could think of to be grateful for was that the tent was fairly warm. The cloth door was pushed back and light spilled into the room, sending a splitting pain through Harper's head.

"Ah good, you are awake. I was almost afraid my men had hit you too hard and you would never wake up." Tazione let out a hearty laugh of amusement. Harper remained silent, glaring at the other man.

"What do you want?" He said, mustering as much derision into his voice as he could. Tazione became silent abruptly and knelt in front of Harper, who had the sudden urge to kick him in the face, but quickly realized that wouldn't help his case.

"I want your help of course." This didn't help clear things up at all. Harper's help? What, did he want some new machine built or fixed? Seeing the confusion Tazione smiled his cat-like smile.

"He is the one we want, right my love?" Harper's eye caught a shadow moving outside the door and a woman's voice replied,

"Oh yes my love, I am certain of it." Harper's eyes widened; he knew that voice. But from where? It wasn't Alba's....

As the shadow moved to enter Harper's blood froze and he felt both fear and even more confusion. It didn't make any sense....

"He is precisely the one we want." Cielde Scintillement, Empress of P'Laraska, entered the room and went to Tazione's side. They embraced, and then held each other loosely as they looked over the man they held captive. Harper shrunk away. This was not the sweet and love-sick girl he'd seen in the palace. This was a cold and calculating woman. Her gaze was cruel and held none of the amusement Tazione's did. She smiled when she saw him watching her, and Harper wished for the darkness he'd just escaped from.

A/N: sorry this took so long folks, I promise the next chapter will be up sooner. It's going to get more interesting to write, and hopefully more interesting to read as well. Thanks, -Luna Sealeaf


	6. The Lovers

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature.

The Lovers

Key Words: Attraction, love, trials overcome

"_Can you see it?" The woman asked. _

"_It is coming soon. We will know when to act." The old man told her, looking over his shoulder at the pacing form._

"_What if it is too late?"_

"_Then we have failed."_

"Ow." Beka awoke to a blinding headache. She waited for her eyes to adjust before trying to look around. The first thing she noticed was that she couldn't move; after a moment's worth of panic, she realized that only her hands were tied. A heavy form was laying across her legs, making them immovable.

"Trance...get off." She mumbled, shifting so that the sleeping purple girl rolled off her. Beka winced as the life began to return to her legs.

"Beka, where are we?" Trance yawned as she sat up, blinking and looking around. Her arms were tied behind her back but unlike Beka, she was not tied to a post in the middle of the tent.

"Well, this is just a guess Trance, but I'm thinking these are Tazione's guest chambers." Beka answered sarcastically through gritted teeth. Her hands writhed as she tried to free them from the tightly knotted rope; but it was no use. With a frustrated sigh she leaned her head back.

"Ouch!"

"Ow!" Her head had not met the pole, but had head butted another figure. Beka couldn't twist around to see who it was.

"Harper?" She asked when she didn't see the spiky haired engineer anywhere else in the tent.

"No, it's Dylan."

"Where's Harper?" Beka felt an inexplicable fear creep up her spine.

"I don't know --I just had a rude awakening." Dylan sounded tired. "I'm guessing you can't untie these ropes?"

"Lucky guess." Beka said with a smile, despite her worry over Harper. Trance was watching them curiously but her face turned serious as she spoke again.

"Dylan, are you all right?"

"Yes, I think so." He replied. Instead of looking relieved Trance bit her lip and frowned. Beka mimicked the expression.

"What is it Trance?" The other girl summed up a brave smile.

"I don't know...it just seems weird, Harper being the only one not here with us."

"Maybe they're questioning us individually." Dylan suggested. Trance nodded doubtfully.

"Or maybe he's in trouble." Beka supplied the other possibility that the others hadn't wanted to voice.

"You shouldn't look so worried. You're not in trouble." Cielde's eyes narrowed in what Harper supposed was meant to be humor. He didn't feel like laughing.

"Gee, now why would I think I'm in trouble? What do you want with me anyway?" He smiled nervously and tried to think of something witty to say to catch them off guard, but his voice seemed stuck in his throat. The Empress untangled herself from Tazione's embrace and knelt in front of Harper on one knee.

"What do you think we mean to do with you?" She whispered; her tone was playful in a way that brought to mind a cat teasing a mouse before killing it.

"Probably the same thing you did to that other guy –Pegno." Harper licked his lips and shifted uncomfortably. The eyes boring into him were not the eyes of a spoiled teenage princess; they were the eyes of a cold and calculating monarch.

Cielde glanced up at Tazione and her eyes sparkled as they exchanged smiles, then she turned back to her prisoner.

"I knew you were smart just by looking at you! Yes, that's exactly what we mean to do to you. We shall sacrifice you to our Gods. Would you like to tell him how it shall be done, my love?" In a fluid motion Cielde stood up and Tazione leaned forward slightly.

"Did you get a good look at Pegno out there?" Unsure of how to answer, Harper finally shook his head slowly. Tazione's grin widened.

"First we cut off all his toes and fingers. That was just a warm up of course; then we burned his genitals off. Still, that was only preparation. The Gods' dictate an ancient practice of sacrifice; he was hanged until near death, then his insides were cut out and burned before his eyes. He was dragged for a mile –by the ankles, which were then cut off as well- and finally decapitated." All through the description Tazione smiled at Harper.

For his part, the engineer's stomach churned at the images it brought to mind. He had heard and seen –hell, he'd even committed- some pretty terrible things back on Earth, but Tazione's words had a most gruesome effect in his imagination. He shuddered visibly and struggled once more with his bonds. A harsh voice cut through his attempts.

"Fool! Would we –would I have gone to so much trouble to have you brought here merely to kill you? I think not. Such a fate is only reserved for those who refuse to cooperate." Cielde sneered at Harper, placing her hands haughtily on her hips.

Not feeling very relieved, Harper asked suspiciously.

"Cooperate? Cooperate with what?" And where were his friends, he wondered suddenly. Ignoring his words, Tazione glanced at Cielde and asked in a casual voice.

"Shall I explain or would you care to?" Cielde answered with a dismissive hand.

"Make it quick," She ordered imperiously. Tazione gave a mock bow in reply and seated himself in front of Harper.

"You may recall hearing –or perhaps Cielde told you herself, but she pretended, to others, that she was in love with Pegno. He was certainly infatuated with her."

"It was amusing, but very annoying." Cielde added as she paced behind Tazione. Harper was careful to make it look like he was being very attentive when in truth he was carefully untying the knots that bound him.

"The truth was that she and I were in loved; we were friends as children, and of course our positions would have made our union a good match." Tazione scowled suddenly and Harper froze, wondering if the man had seen his actions. But Tazione was frowning at a figment of the past, and soon continued talking.

"Pegno was jealous of course, the spoiled brat, so he refused to bless our marriage. Unfortunately even Cielde, the Empress, could not gainsay the God's Chosen, especially since Alba di Hielo agreed with him. They said our union would be against the Gods' Will. As if either of those imposters knows what the Gods want!" He spat out vehemently. Harper tried to look sympathetic and nod slightly. Neither Cielde nor Tazione seemed to notice.

"Let me guess; you want me to pretend to be Pegno, I've heard that we look similar, and then give you permission to marry?" Harper guessed, piecing together the information he knew so far.

"Oh we hardly want you to pretend to be Pegno." Tazione laughed with a grin. He and Cielde once more exchanged icy smiles.

"We want you to become the God's Chosen in your own right." Cielde said. Harper would have laughed if he didn't think his life depended on their moods. He couldn't resist saying however,

"You two are crazy! Both of you! I couldn't become your peoples' religious leader! I'm not even from here! And I don't know a thing about your Gods!"

"That hardly matters; the Gods may choose whomever they wish to be their avatars. All you have to do is prove that the Gods wish you to represent them." Cielde said eagerly. At least they didn't seem determined to kill him, Harper thought wryly.

"You say it like that's easy." He pointed out sarcastically.

"Oh, it's not." Tazione grinned.

"Great..." Harper muttered under his breath. Things just kept getting better and better.

"Ship, have you heard anything from Dylan or the others?" Tyr strode onto Command as though he owned the Andromeda. Which, Rommie thought to herself, he probably was plotting to do.

Retaining her dignified expression and stance, Rommie replied formally,

"They have not contacted the ship since you left them."

"And where is the Magog?" Tyr persisted.

"If you're referring to Rev Bem, he's in his quarters meditating. I wouldn't advise interrupting him." She added. Tyr didn't look grateful for the advice.

"If Dylan or one of the others hasn't reported back in three hours, let me know." He growled before turning and storming back off of Command. Rommie sighed as she turned back to her console, shrugging at her on screen persona's indignant look.

"He is the acting Captain." She said to herself.

"For now." She replied.

"I don't like this one bit." Beka announced. She heard Dylan sigh.

"Beka, none of us like this. But we need to keep trying to contact Andromeda." Knowing that his words had done nothing to ease her anxiety, he continued, "Besides, for all we know, Harper escaped and is fine." It took a lot of effort to make it sound convincing.

"Dylan, its Harper." Beka answered sharply. "We both know that wherever Harper is, safe or not, somewhere at some point he will say or do the wrong thing to the wrong person and end up in trouble." She bit her lip to keep from adding, "And I won't be there to help him." Trance caught her worried expression and gave a comforting smile.

"Don't worry Beka, I'm sure-"But whatever Trance was sure of, she didn't get to say. The tent flap was swept open two gruff men entered.

Dylan twisted around to see who had entered while Trance scrambled away from the door.

"Are you friends of the Hands of the God?" One of the men asked.

"Yes?" Dylan ventured questioningly, at the same time that Beka said, "No!" abruptly.

The two men glanced at each other and shrugged. The three crewmates waited with baited breath to see how their answer would be received. Nothing happened except that the two men left, and returned with bowls of food. To their surprise, all three of the prisoner's hands were untied, though two more guards came to watch them as they ate.

Not daring to talk about Harper in front of them, the three ate in silence, Dylan making a few attempts at polite banter with the men, but they remained silent.

"Look, your Majesty," Harper said the words with a sneer. "I appreciate your predicament and all, but why should I help you? I've never been here in my life. It's way too freakin' cold for me to imagine staying any longer than I have to. So maybe you should find some other young handsome blonde to play the part; I'm sure there are plenty who'd jump at the chance to get a place of power." Harper looked from Cielde to Tazione, hoping his speech would have some effect.

Cielde and Tazione frowned as one. "You don't understand. Any native of P'Laraska and its surrounding planets would view this as heresy at its worst. No one in their right mind would aid such a blasphemous plan. It has to be an outsider, like you. And since you resemble Pegno himself in such an amazing degree, for all we know, this could be the Gods' will." Cielde explained. Tazione was looking at Harper strangely while she spoke, and added in a soft voice,

"The Gods' choice in Avatars has been strange before. Many times we mortals find Their ways strange and incomprehensible; for all we know, you are the God's Chosen." It seemed like Tazione was trying to be comforting in a way, but when Harper was compared to the bloody and charred corpse he'd glimpsed outside, it just made him shiver. Besides that, Tazione's argument seemed rather weak; as though he were justifying his blasphemous actions through ignorance.

Harper shook his head to clear it, hoping that Cielde and Tazione would listen to reason. "And what happens to me when people find out about all this?"

"You will be executed. Beheaded for heresy." Cielde supplied an answer promptly; then smiled. "But don't worry, no one will find out. Who could expose you? I am the Empress, Tazione will be my Emperor. There will be no higher powers able to accuse you of anything."

"What about Alba di Hielo?" Harper asked. This caught them off guard; he could see the startled looks on their faces.

"She'll believe if you do." Tazione finally said.

"Ok, I've tried explaining this to you logically, but you guys seem to think you've got everything figured out. Well, sorry, but I can't help you. I'm the Chief Engineer of a Big Bad ship, and all I want to do is go home. Thanks for the interview and all, but no thanks." Before he could say anything else, his words were cut off by a swift back handed punch. The force pushed his head against the pole, which hurt more than the hit itself. It was strange that the man who had been speaking gently, almost comfortingly, a moment before, could turn so violent so quickly.

"I'm afraid you misunderstood our proposal; you don't have a choice." Cielde's voice was once more cold, rather than wheedling.

"Sure I do. I refuse you help you, you kill me, you don't have anyone for your plan. You let me go, we part as, uh, acquaintances, and you can tell people that I was some divine messenger or something and convince everyone to let you two love birds get hitched. Kapeesh?" Despite his brave words, Harper spoke nervously and quickly.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Tazione grimaced as he looked down at the hand he'd punched Harper with.

"No, actually, I don't think I am." Harper replied flatly.

"What about your friends?" Tazione countered in that same pliant voice. Harper froze, and then spoke before his expression could give anything away.

"What friends? You mean those people I was with? We're not friends; trust me." He gave a nervous laugh to punctuate his words.

"Good, because we had them killed. They were useless to us and were merely a distraction to my followers." _He's lying_, Harper told himself. He had to be lying. He told himself to shrug and not fall for Tazione's trick, but the thought of Dylan, Beka, and Trance all being dead was too much for him.

"You're lying," were the only words he could force out of his mouth.

"Yes, indeed I am." Tazione wore a pleased smile. "But that hardly matters, now does it? You're face told us all. You do care about those people. Enough, I believe, to do as we say, or risk their slow and very painful deaths."

Harper realized with a pang of fear that he was not bluffing. Things were definitely not going as he'd planned. _Come on Dylan! Now's the time for one of those miraculous escapes where you save yourself and me; cause I don't know how to answer him, and I can't stall any longer..._

Seeing the sweat break on the engineer's forehead, Cielde and Tazione exchanged triumphant smiles.

A/N: yay! Now we get to the fun parts! ) Next chapter coming asap.


	7. The Chariot

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature

The Chariot

Key Words: Providence, war, triumph, vengeance, trouble

As Tazione and Cielde smiled at him triumphantly, Harper felt the last of the knots binding him loosen. Deciding it was now or never, he dropped the rope from his hands and lunged for the door. Bad mistake.

Tazione's arm caught him full in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and throwing him to his back. As he scrambled to his feet Cielde called for the guards and he heard Tazione mutter,

"I had hoped we wouldn't have to do this…" and then Harper felt himself falling forward, the scene in front of him going black.

"You know, this is getting pretty boring." Dylan muttered under his breath. He, Beka, and Trance were once more tied up in the same place they had been; the guards and the food gone.

"Well, we wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you." Beka replied with more than a little annoyance in her voice.

"Are you saying this is my fault?" Dylan snapped at her. Neither could see each other's faces, as they were stilled tied back to back around the post, but Dylan could guess what Beka's expression was.

"Oh come on; we shouldn't even be here! This has nothing to do with us or your Commonwealth!"

"Our Commonwealth," he interjected.

"This is a bunch of lunatics who are all playing games with each other, and you got our noses stuck into the mess. We should never have come in the first place, am I right Trance?" Beka was more tired than angry, and she knew realistically that it wasn't Dylan's fault, but that didn't keep her from enlisting the help of her old crewmate. Trance, however, wasn't paying attention to either of them.

"Hey guys, I think I've untied these ropes!" With a shining smile Trance revealed her two free hands to Beka.

"Great! Now untie me and Dylan," Beka beamed at Trance's accomplishment.

"No wait; we can't all go waltzing out of here, there are too many of them." Dylan pointed out.

"Did you see their guns Dylan? Primitive doesn't begin to describe them! They're no match for your force lance, now untie me Trance!" Not only had her butt gone numb from the uncomfortable position, but Beka was anxious to get back to her ship; they'd docked it in Sibarctica, but she didn't trust the people there to take care of it properly. Not to mention that the scenery was getting very old, very fast.

"Hold on a minute and think Beka; we don't know what they've done with Harper. If we all escape now, they could use him as hostage and we'd end up back here with something stronger than ropes."

Beka sighed with frustration, but she knew Dylan was right. Slumping against the pole, she frowned at Trance.

Once you know what his situation is, come back here and then we'll figure out a way to get back to the Andromeda –together." When he'd finished, Trance nodded her understanding and, tossing a blanket over her head like a cloak, snuck out of the tent.

Harper awoke to a very strange sound indeed; a sound that he usually only heard in his dreams. It was the sound of giggling; and of women's voices saying his name. Only they were saying his name with a strange accent.

His eyes began to open and Harper felt a pang of regret that the dream was ending before it began. He felt himself come to, and slowly looked up to take in his surroundings. He then came face to face with no less than six young women staring at him from just inside the tent entrance, giggling and whispering among themselves.

"Um, hello?" He ventured, wondering if they spoke Common. By their excited, though unintelligible, whispers, he was guessing they didn't. Their gazes, lovely though they were, began to make him feel uncomfortable and he wished they would go away, especially when he saw that his ropes had been replaced with chains; one for each wrist, and shackles for his feet.

Cielde was his unlikely rescuer; she entered dramatically and shooed the girls away. They bowed, took one last look at Harper, and quickly left. Cielde was eyeing Harper with an unreadable expression on her face.

"What's their problem?" Harper asked, indicating the spot where the girls had been standing. For a moment he thought Cielde wouldn't answer, but then she took a step forward, arms folded casually in front of her.

"It's not every century that we have such a young and handsome High Priest you know." Seeing the startled look in Harper's eye, Cielde smiled and continued speaking in a smooth voice.

"The servants of the Gods are hardly celibate you know; most marry and have a family. And there are many, many young, beautiful, women who are eager to show their devotion to the God."

Harper later admitted that he had been sorely tempted by Cielde's not so subtle meaning; what honest man wouldn't be? But he shifted uneasily and shook his head.

"Sorry, no offense or anything, but it's still not worth the cost."

"The cost of what? Of gaining power, glory; the love and devotion of hundreds of millions of people?" Cielde's black eyes bore into him and Harper had to tear his gaze away in order to answer her.

"You forget that I already have a life; one that I'm actually starting to like. I have friends, and a woman who loves me, and nothing that you offer will make me change my mind." He said defiantly; the images of Andromeda made his stomach lurch with a feeling akin to homesickness. What wouldn't he give to be tinkering around in his machine shop, laughing and joking with Rommie or Andromeda's hologram…?

"Very well, I see that you are not to be convinced. I am sorry for that; but you will learn to enjoy your new life, I'm sure. It will be very rewarding, that I promise you." That said, Cielde turned sharply and left the tent.

"Harper that's so sweet of you!" His life nearly ended right there from the jolt of his heart; twisting his head painfully, he turned to the back of the tent to see a familiar purple face smiling at him, one hand lifting the cloth over her head.

"Trance! How did you get here! How did you find me?" The words tumbled out of his mouth as she scurried inside, looking around curiously.

"They didn't tie me up very well, did they? Anyway, Dylan wanted me to find out what had happened to you before I untie him and Beka so we can escape." Seeing his astonished face, Trance blinked at his bonds.

"That's strange, we were tied with rope. What do they want with you anyway?" She kneeled down in front of him, picking at his chains to see if she could get them off. Harper answered her question with one of his own.

"What makes you think they want something with me?" he asked suspiciously. Trance looked up and gave him an innocent smile.

"Well, they separated you from us, and you have tighter bonds than us, and that beautiful woman was trying to bribe you, but you nobly refused."

"Flattery will get you everywhere." He teased her. "But seriously, they're crazy, the whole lot of them. Tell Dylan that it's time to let them stew in their own mess and get the hell out of here." Scarcely had the words left his mouth before a figure burst into the small room; Tazione was breathing heavily and fuming, face red and eyes blazing.

"Hell is exactly where you will end up if you try to escape again." He yelled. This was a very different man from the charming character Harper had seen earlier. Trance tried to stand and run, but Tazione caught her by the arm. Trance turned to look at him and froze when she met his eyes; with a small cry she turned to Harper.

"Whatever you do, don't go with them Harper! Don't let them take you away from us!" Harper was struggling against the chains to try and get at her, but it was no use. Tazione summoned several guards who came and dragged her away. Tazione was left alone with Harper, looking a bit calmer as well as triumphant.

"You'll have to figure the ugly display of emotion; we have bad reports of fighting in the major cities. Our people are divided; some blame the Empress for Pegno's disappearance, other's feel that the High Priestess is somehow to blame, and civil war is on the verge of occurring. It's a rather stressful time for me."

"I can imagine." Harper replied sarcastically, but Tazione just grinned.

"I can't tell you how pleased I am by your friends' appearance. It only proves further that you do care for at least one of our captives. Since you still refuse to help us, I think we shall start with that strange purple girl; perhaps seeing her limbs sawed off with a dull blade will help to change your mind…"

Tazione laughed as he followed the guards and left the tent, leaving Harper to glare at the place where he had stood.

Trance found herself once more tied, this time with chains similar to the ones she'd seen on Harper, and thrown back in the tent with Dylan and Beka; both of whom groaned in frustration when they realized she'd been caught.

"Well," Trance said with a small smile, "I did find Harper."

A/N: sorry this took so freakin' long to come; school and sports are taking over my life and sucking out my creative energy/abilities. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter; I sincerely hope that the next one will be longer and come sooner, but I can't make any promises. To prove that I really am going to finish this however, I will tell you the title of the next chapter: Strength…and let's just say that Harper doesn't heed Trance's warning.


	8. Strength

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature

Strength

Key Words: Action, energy, courage

_She knelt before the tall fireplace, the only source of warmth in the room, whose high-vaulted ceiling created a perpetual draft. The woman's mouth moved as though in prayer, but no sound came from them. _

_"My Lady?" A timid looking girl entered, carrying a slip of parchment in her hand. The woman rose in a smooth motion and turned to the girl. With one glance the woman took the paper and gestured for the girl to leave. Once she was alone she unfolded the paper with trembling hands. Had all their plans turned to naught? _

_But no; she should have known better than to doubt herself or the will of the Gods. For there, written in a flourishing script, were three simple words that conveyed an endless measure of comfort._

_It has begun._

The night was agony for Harper. He could not get comfortable enough to sleep, and his mind was in such turmoil that he could not have slept in any case. In the few moments when he dozed, images of his friends –Trance, Beka, Dylan, being tortured and killed in front of him. His entire fault. They would scream and his head would snap up, where he would find he'd been dreaming.

Trance had warned him not to give in; not to let them separate him from his friends. But what choice did he have? If he continued to refuse he was sure they would end up like Pegno and then force him to do what they wanted anyway.

As the sun began to creep over the frozen, barren land, he at last came to a decision. For once, he hoped Trance had been mistaken in her advice.

That morning Cielde ordered her people to prepare themselves for the journey back to the Palace. Tazione, too, mustered a few of his troops. After a few hurried minutes of talking and planning, the Empress snuck into Tazione's tent and to the section where Harper was held. She was both startled and satisfied by how terrible he looked; his eyes were rimmed in red and bloodshot, he looked pale except for a dark bruise on his face from where Tazione had hit him.

"Good morning." She said with a sneer.

"What's going on? I keep hearing people shouting and wagons." He seemed dazed and Cielde suddenly wondered if he'd been given anything to eat or drink the last twenty four hours.

"We are preparing to leave. Have you reached a decision yet?" He was silent, a troubled expression on his face. Something had changed overnight, she could tell; he was much less confident, and much quieter, than he had been before.

"I'll do what you want, if you'll let my friends go." Harper finally said.

"Of course! They shall be released immediately to go on their way. But you must come with me and make a speech to the people, Tazione's loyal followers, as well as to your friends, so that all may know that you come with us willingly and of your own free will."

"Trust me, nothing I say will convince my friends that I'm not doing this because of threats or because I'm under duress." Cielde gave a careless shrug.

"Just do your best. Tazione will bring you some clean clothing and some water. I'd give you food but," She peered at his face intently. "You look like you'd only throw it all back up." Harper gave her a wry grin.

"I didn't know you cared."

"I don't. But you must look like the God's Chosen, or else no one will believe us. At least, not until you undergo the Trials." She muttered these last words as she turned and left, the hanging curtain falling back into place behind her.

It was dark in the tent where Dylan, Beka, and Trance were kept. Suddenly the door was swept aside and light flooded the tiny room. Squinting at the forms entering Dylan realized they were guards. The men who entered were silent, deadly looking spears at their sides. One by one they untied Dylan and Beka from the post, leaving only their hands bound. Trance was also brought to her feet, and all three were heavily escorted outside.

"What's going on?" Beka asked nervously, seeing the crowds of people packing up tents and milling about.

"Silence!" on of their guards said gruffly. Dylan just shrugged in answer to Beka's question. They were led to a large wooden platform, and Beka suddenly had a moment's panic; were they about to be publicly executed? But no, they were taken to the sides of the large crowd that had assembled to watch….something. The wind was cold and Beka shivered as they waited, exchanging worried looks with Trance and Dylan.

"This is not good, this is not good," Trance was muttering repeatedly to herself until the guard holding her told her to be silent. The girl looked paler than normal and seeing her look worried made Beka all the more worried.

At last three forms, flanked by guards and servants, stepped onto the platform amidst cheers from the crowd. One of the figures was Tazione; resplendent in red robes that shimmered in the early light. The other was a golden haired woman of exquisite beauty who Beka took a sudden intense disliking to. Beside her, Trance gasped.

"That's the Empress," She explained when Beka gave her a quizzical look. Beka was confused; Tazione was some sort of rebel leader, why would he be in league with the monarch? This world made absolutely no sense to her….but then, maybe the two had made peace and she and her friends would be let go. It was a wild hope, and one that was quickly shoved to the back of her mind when she saw the third figure. Her jaw dropped open.

"Harper." Dylan said in amazement. Indeed, the short figure on the platform, too far away for Beka to accurately make out his expression but obviously Harper nonetheless, was wearing robes of brilliant gold; on his upper arms were bands of gold with glittering stones. Strange symbols, that, again, she could not quite make out clearly, had been painted on his arms and forehead. She was sure that if she could see his face, he would be dying with embarrassment. As it was, she could barely hold back a laugh.

It wasn't that the robes made him look silly, in fact, from this distance he actually seemed quite handsome, but the thought of Harper –her Harper- dressed in such finery, such alien finery, was simply absurd.

The people around them didn't seem to think it was absurd however. The woman, whom Trance had said was the Empress, was speaking in the native language of P'Laraska, and as she spoke the crowd bowed and then knelt on one knee, even the guards around Beka, Dylan, and Trance, who were also forced to their knee.

Now the woman switched to Common.

"I present to you; the Hands of the God, the Avatar and Voice of our Blessed One, and our Lord. He goes with us to the Holy City so that he may take his oaths and prove himself. Then, my Lord Tazione and myself shall return to the capital, where peace shall be restored. No longer will you fight against your brothers and sisters! The Hands of the God will bring happiness, order, and prosperity back to our land! The sun has risen on a new day!" In jubilation she lifted Harper's hand and the crowd cheered again, wildly. Beka wanted to laugh, but she also had a sinking feeling that what was happening was not good. Not good at all. The sun had risen on a new day indeed.

Shortly afterwards the three were led back to the tent, told that they would be released as soon as the Empress, Tazione, and the Hands of the God were on their way.

"So what are we going to do?" Beka asked immediately once they were alone. Dylan gave a helpless shrug, though he didn't look happy.

"Whatever we can."

While they were led back to their tent, Harper was ushered into a transport with Tazione; Cielde was entering a separate one and the two were saying goodbye.

"I shall await your return at the Capital." She said calmly. Tazione bent and kissed her hands.

"The Hands of the God," He gave a light smirk, "and I will be with you as soon as we are able."

While they were saying goodbye Harper was searching for a way to escape. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, and not to mention foolish, he anxiously looked for someplace to hide or run. He had no such luck; guards were everywhere, and while they watched Harper with a respectful awe, he knew they would stop him from leaving if Tazione told them to. The Empress and the Rebel Leader had taken care to explain that the potential Chosen One was a foreigner, and a little nervous about his destiny, and his new surroundings confused him, so he was to be watched –for his own protection, of course. And since no one would want to risk incurring the wrath of the God by allowing harm to come to His Chosen Avatar, they obeyed.

As he realized there was no hope of escape, Harper caught Tazione watching him with an amused smile.

"Come; I am sure you are as anxious as I to put the Trials behind you, and assume the rank and position that is your due." The words were for those surrounding them, but Harper sensed a mocking tone in the other man's voice. With a vice-like grip on his arm that looked as though he were merely guiding him to those watching, Tazione led Harper onto the transport, where he was given 'special' quarters; a cell, fit for a king, but with its windows boarded up, and no heat to be felt.

"It's a long journey to the Sacred Temple; I suggest you make yourself comfortable." And with one last smirk, he locked the door. Harper sank to the floor, still not quite ready to admit defeat, he began planning a way to rejoin his friends.

A/N: Again, sorry this chapter is so short. I think the next one will be longer, though it may take a while to be finished. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed or been reading. The next chapter will be titled: The Hermit


	9. The Hermit

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature

The Hermit

Key Words: Prudence, treason, dissimulation, roguery, corruption

The ride was, as Tazione had said, long. The entire time Harper huddled in a corner of the ornate apartment, trying to keep warm while thinking of a way out of his predicament. Eventually his thoughts started going in circles and he'd start to fall asleep; only to awaken as the transport changed directions and he hit his head.

As escape plan after escape plan failed in his mind a small thread of fear began to grow inside him. What if he could never escape, would his friends be able to save him? With a sinking feeling it occurred to him; would they _want_ to save him? Their last image probably hadn't struck them as a desperate cry for help; being hailed as a powerful figure, voluntarily leaving with other powerful people who apparently wanted his help…

_Stop it, they won't abandon me._ He told himself firmly. _Beka and Trance, and even Dylan, would never abandon me…the way I abandoned them. _With a pang of guilt he thought of Trance's warning. She probably thought he hadn't believed her, or thought she was too ditzy to know what she was talking about. He desperately wanted to explain why he'd left, to protect her and Beka and Dylan, but judging by his current circumstances, it didn't seem likely that he'd be given the opportunity to do so. For now his best option seemed to be to wait and hope for a chance to escape or contact his friends.

By the time the transport came to a stop he'd resigned himself to being in captivity –for the moment.

"I must say I don't envy you; it is said that nothing is more painful or harder to survive than the Gods' Trials." Tazione remarked as he led Harper out into the frigid air. The guards accompanying them kept a careful distance; no doubt orders from Tazione so that nothing Harper might say would be easily overheard.

"Thanks for that happy thought," his voice dripping with bitter sarcasm Harper glared at the rebel leader through eyes narrowed against the cold. To his disgust he seemed to be the only one affected by the depressingly low temperatures, even though he was the most heavily bundled up.

"I wouldn't worry too much though; if a weakling like Pegno Gefallener can survive and pass them, no doubt you shall have little trouble doing so as well." Tazione didn't even have goosebumps in the cold, but he stared off into the distance with a distracted manner and the smallest of frowns on his face. Studying him a minute, Harper realized something.

"You don't trust her, do you?"

"Trust whom?" Tazione snapped impatiently, eyes darting to the shorter man suspiciously.

"Her Majesty, the Empress; your Lady of Love," Tazione just blinked but Harper knew he was right; Tazione seemed taken aback and didn't answer right away.

"Just because you are the God's Avatar does not mean you know everything. Concentrate on your own survival." This nearly stopped the engineer dead in his tracks, but Tazione pulled him along as the temple came into view. Barely taking in the awe-inspiring architecture and grandeur of the gray stone, Harper stared at the ground, his thoughts in utter confusion. _Does this mean they truly think I'm their 'Chosen One'? What the hell? If they do, how come they still took me hostage? _None of it made sense to Harper and with a growing pang he wished desperately for the Andromeda and the sight of one of his fellow crewmembers –even Tyr would be a welcome sight right now.

The Temple was built into the side of an immense mountain and the entrance was a small dark cave. Their footsteps echoed wildly in the inky blackness and instinctively Harper remained as quiet as he could, hoping Tazione knew where he was going. Becoming lost in the utter blackness of the cave, miles under tons of mountain, did not sound appealing in the least to Harper.

And then they crossed the threshold.

Blackness engulfed Harper and he doubled forward, clutching at his stomach. Startled, Tazione pulled him up, still gripping his right arm.

"What's wrong?" He growled in a furious voice. But Harper could not hear his voice; all he saw was red, all he heard was a gushing of wind. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out. All around him the guards shifted nervously, waiting for Tazione to do something. For once the rebel leader looked lost and more than a little confused.

"You needn't fear for him. He is in the God's Hand." A dark robed figure appeared out of the shadows and Tazione gave a swift bow, his guards quickly following his example. The priest that stood in front of them did not acknowledge them, but kept a steady gaze on Harper, who was slowly sinking to his knees.

"Bring him to the Chamber," The priest said softly.

"Are you sure he will be alright?" Tazione cast the briefest of glances down at Harper's still form. The Priest didn't even blink.

"You have nothing to fear…unless he's an imposter." Tazione looked up sharply but the robed figure continued walking steadily. Finally the younger man had no choice but to follow, half-dragging the prone figure of the foreigner behind him.

_Imposter…_

The word echoed in Harper's mind reaching a pitch that sent shockwaves of pain throughout his entire body. He felt like someone –or something- was inside him, killing him from the inside out.

_No, please! _He begged silently, not knowing what he begged for.

_IMPOSTER…blasphemy…you shall be PUNISHED…_

A thousand soft whispers stabbed at him and he screamed loudly.

_It's not my fault! I didn't ask for this!_ The sound of weeping filled his ears and dimly he realized it was his own. _I didn't ask for any of this…_ he cried out again.

_He DARES…you dare…MY world…MY people…you shall SUFFER…_

The sense of another's presence intensified until he could hardly bear it; was it possible that there really was a god watching of P'Laraska? But that was insane, he wasn't even sure that he believed in the Divine. He must be going crazy that was the only plausible answer…

_It's not my fault…_ he repeated hopelessly. Suddenly the tide of red subsided and his eyes opened.

They might as well have remained closed for all the difference it seemed to make. Everywhere there was darkness; not just darkness, blackness. An abyss of eternal emptiness. The only thing that kept him from feeling overly panicked was the hard cold stone beneath his back, letting him know he wasn't simply floating in space. Nor did he think he was dead. Not yet anyways.

Suddenly he was surrounded by fire. Yelping as it singed him he stood up and turned around frantically. The light was too bright after all the darkness; he had to fight to keep his eyes open.

_What do you want…_

The voice, that terrible voice that had filled him earlier, was once more resounding in his head. That plus the bright flickering light was too much for his head; pressing his hands to his temples he whimpered from the pain.

_I just want to go home…_were his only thoughts. It wasn't even an answer, he realized, but just a desperate cry.

_Where is home…_

_Here…home is here…_ with all his might Harper pictured Andromeda…the observation deck, the Command Deck, his quarters, the mess hall, the machine shops, the Eureka Maru…Beka, Trance, Rev Bem, Rommie, Dylan…even Tyr. All of these things he fought hard to concentrate on.

_Proof…you must prove yourself worthy…to demand help…to take MY place…the TEST…MY people…MY home…_

The words made no sense to Harper and he cried out again from the pain in his head, sinking to his knees with a sickening thud against the hard stone as the flames closed in.

_Where is home…_

The Voice asked once more. Confused, Harper held in his mind the image of his friends on Andromeda…comfort and safety…

Sharp pieces of rock rained down on him, making the flames dance and cutting through his skin down to the bone. His screams echoed, and if he'd had the presence of mind to think, he would have realized this meant there were walls and a ceiling, not never-ending darkness as he'd first thought.

_Where is home…_

Feeling blood drip from the wounds left by the rocks Harper had the strangest sensation of being pulled apart. Even stranger, it was comforting. _Home?_ Suddenly he was confused…home was…somewhere. But where? He couldn't find it! The pain was too much…he couldn't find it…

Trance; Trance could find it; she could always find anything…

_Trance!_ He clung to the thought of her, his purple-pixie, and then the rest came back to him: Andromeda, Beka, the Maru, Rommie…Trance. The pulling sensation increased and he fought back, keeping the image of Andromeda and his friends firmly in his mind. This time what felt like knives rained down on him; he could feel his muscles being ripped; feel blood gushing from his limbs; taste it in his mouth as he struggled to cough before it choked him.

_HOME…_It was too much; he could feel himself slipping; frantically he held the pictures in his mind, struggling to hold on to the vision of his home. Of his family. This time, instead of daggers, he felt the fire once more swarm around him. He was lying on the floor, trying to remember when he'd collapsed; the fire was gushing around him…it was too bright…and too hot…he couldn't breathe. His flesh was being seared; he smelled burned meat and realized it was his own body being burned…Once more his screams echoed through the room…and once more he was surrounded in darkness…

"_Once, as my heart remembers; all the stars were falling embers…_

_Once, when night seemed forever…I was with you…"_

He could hear a voice. It was beautiful and unearthly; wondering if he was dead, Harper struggled to open his eyes. If he was dead, at least he was comfortable, and the sound of the voice –a woman's, he dimly realized,- was almost worth the thought of being dead.

"_…stars shining through the darkness…_

_Once, as the night was gleaming into us our dreams were weaving._

_Once, all dreams were worth dreaming._

_I was with you…_

_Once, when our hearts were singing…_

_I was with you…_"

The sound of the voice died and then his eyes opened. A woman, young by the look of her face, was staring down at him with concern. She did not look like the others of this planet; she was short and seemingly frail; her hair a silvery cascade that tumbled over her shoulders. Her eyes were dark, but sparkled with warmth the other natives he'd met seemed to be lacking. Meeting his gaze she smiled and he felt a heaviness inside of him lift.

She brushed his hair away from his face and he realized he was sweating. With that thought came the memories and he sat up, startling her hand away.

"Please, you are still healing, my Lord." The young woman said quietly, her musical voice filled with concern.

"Where am I?" Harper asked feverishly, looking around. "Where's Tazione? What happened?"

The girl made soothing noises and gently pushed him back down on the bed.

"You passed the Trials, my Lord. You have proven yourself to be the Hands of the God." She paused to give a small curtsy, though Harper was too bewildered to notice, "and my Lord Tazione waits for you to regain your strength so that you may return to the capital, Herze d'Eises."

This was all too much for Harper so he blinked and ignored it. Instead he focused on the beautiful young woman in front of him.

"Who are you? Why were you singing just now?" She ducked her head and gave another quick curtsy.

"My name is Esperanza, my Lord. I am bard-trained, from the west, and I was brought here that I might assist in healing you."

"That's a pretty name…Esperanza. Does it mean anything?" He suddenly felt incredibly tired, too tired to notice that Esperanza had not blinked once, nor looked away from his face. She brought the covers of the bed he was lying in up to his chin and leaned forward.

"It means hope…" She said in a whisper. Harper wanted to reply, to tell her that he liked her name, but exhaustion overcame him and he fell into a deep sleep. The young woman looked down on him; concern mingled with another, different emotion.

"My Lady Alba does not know what she has gotten herself into…" she whispered softly, watching him sleep.

Harper's sleep was dreamless and healed him in many more ways than one. When he next awoke his mind was cleared and most of the pain gone. Unfortunately he did not awake to the beautiful voice of Esperanza, but to a loud crash and the sound of many shouts accompanied by gunfire.

"In the name of Her Majesty the Empress open up!" He'd barely registered the words and begun to awaken when the door was kicked in. Esperanza, standing at the far wall, screamed in surprise. In less than a moment Harper had kicked away the blankets and was on his feet. To his surprise four armored soldiers had entered the room, weapons pointed at both Harper and Esperanza.

"What's going on? Where's Tazione?" Harper demanded, trying not to let his confusion show.

"The rebel has been caught and arrested for crimes against Her Majesty. Who are you? A follower of Tazione?"

This information sent Harper's head reeling once more. Just when he'd felt like he had a chance to think things through, everything had changed.

"What are you talking about? Who ordered Tazione's arrest? Not Cielde –I mean, the Empress?"

"That's enough! Just answer the question –who are you?" Feeling panicked, Harper realized this was his chance. All he had to do was tell them he had been kidnapped by Tazione and they could take him back to his friends, or at least drop him off at the nearest city. Hope brought a smile to his face before Esperanza's scream brought him to his senses. One of the guards had forced her to her knees, a gun pointed at her head.

"Kill her, she's probably with Tazione. When you're finished, kill him too." The guard, too impatient to wait for Harper to answer, turned to leave.

"Sir, he looks like a foreigner," One of the other soldiers said uncertainly. The guard who'd issued the orders hesitated, looking over his shoulder and Harper opened his mouth without thinking.

"Wait! Don't kill her! She's not with Tazione, she's helping me. I'm the Hands of the God!" Seeing the incredulous looks cross the guards' faces, he added in a cold voice, "Do you doubt me? Would I claim such a status and risk His wrath? I am a foreigner, but I am not a fool. Ask the priests here, if you will. I think they could probably tell you what happens to those who kill the Gods' Chosen."

Surprised at himself for such a commanding speech, he held his breath and waited to see if the guard believed him. Luckily, his knowledge of P'Laraskan natives was true; they were far too religious to risk blasphemy, and their faith was too great to think that even a foreigner could lie and go unpunished by their Gods.

"Forgive me then, my Lord." He gave a quick bow, gesturing for the soldiers to release Esperanza, who cast Harper a grateful look.

"We shall prepare room for the two of you on our transport at once. We should reach Sibarctic by morning." He said, bowing once more and leaving the room.

"I never said I needed to go to Sibarctic," Harper replied. The guard raised his eyebrows curiously.

"That is where the Tempiale di Neve is, and the Lady Alba. That is where the Gods' Chosen reside." His eyes were daring Harper to contradict him and prove that he was not really the Hands of the God. Swallowing hard, the engineer nodded.

"Right, of course, I was thinking that was a different city," He gave a weak smile and tried to laugh. With an understanding nod, though his gaze remained suspicious, the guards signaled for the others to leave.

"Thank you my Lord." Esperanza said, eyes shining. Heart heavy, Harper sat down on the bed with a sigh. He had been so close…suddenly, a thought came to him. Not daring to hope, he slowly looked up at the girl.

"So…Esperanza…know any good messengers?"

A/N: There. That was fun. Hope you enjoyed reading; please review if you have time and something constructive (or just complementary :P) to say. Next chapter is called: Wheel of Fortune. See ya there!


	10. The Wheel of Fortune

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature

Wheel of Fortune

Key Words: Fortune, success, luck, felicity –destiny

"Ok, go!"

"Are you sure? That guard guy is staring at me!"

"Then wait til he looks away!"

"How can I tell if he's –oh, he turned, now?"

"Yes, now!"

Trance started to edge forward out of the tent, Beka and Dylan crouching right behind her, and then suddenly stopped, causing the other two to fall back on their heels.

"Trance!"

"I'm sorry! Another guy just walked by!"

"Oh for crying out- let me go first!" Beka pushed in front of the purple young woman, paused for a minute, and then dashed out, dragging the smaller woman behind her with Dylan following.

It was dark and they crept slowly to the edge of the camp holding their breath the whole way. Luckily for them, the camp's occupants had begun to disperse after Tazione and the Empress, along with Harper, had left, and the prisoners had mostly been ignored. Dylan suspected the rebels could have cared less about them but decided to take no chances.

Once they had made a good distance between them and the camp they paused to discuss their options.

"I don't suppose you can contact Andromeda?" Beka asked without much hope. Dylan tried, and then shook his head in defeat.

"No, but we can try again at the Maru. Tyr and Rev are probably getting worried about us." Beka snorted at this.

"Rev, maybe, Rommie, most likely, Tyr? He's probably dancing for joy that we seem to have conveniently disappeared." Dylan laughed at this.

"Don't worry, Rommie won't let him abandon us, nor would Rev Bem."

"I wonder where Harper is." Trance's voice was small and she stared out into the growing dark while the others laughed. Her words sobered them quickly.

"Wherever he is he's probably in a heck of a better situation than we are," Dylan commented darkly, thinking of the last time they'd seen the engineer.

"We don't know that." Beka contradicted though she couldn't feel too worried. "Then again, judging by how he was last time we saw him, he's probably being waited on hand and foot by beautiful slave girls."

"Or being tortured," Trance muttered, attracting curious looks from her crewmates. She said nothing else however and let them continue to talk.

"Right now we can't do anything to help Harper or ourselves by standing here. Let's get back to the Maru and try to return to Andromeda, or at least get in touch with her." Dylan pointed out.

"First sensible thing you've said all night," Beka teased as they began walking back to her ship.

"Rommie have you heard anything from Dylan or the others?" Rev Bem's concerned voice filled the emptiness of the Command Deck. Rommie, standing at the Command station, gave him a look of sympathy mingled with frustration.

"No; I've been trying to contact them but haven't been able to get through."

"I see." Rev Bem was silent for a moment. "Where is Tyr?"

"In his quarters."

"Could you put him on screen please?"

"Of course." A moment later and Tyr Anasazi, just finishing his workout from the look of him, appeared on the main screen.

"What is it Magog?" He asked cordially. Ignoring this, Rev Bem stated his worries.

"We haven't heard from Dylan, Beka, Harper, or Trance in days. I think it's time we either talked to this Alba di Hielo ourselves, or we go down and look for them." Tyr was silent for a moment; and before he could answer Rommie's excited voice interjected.

"We're receiving a hail; it's the Maru."

"I'm on my way," Tyr turned the screen off and made his way towards Command Deck while Rommie opened communications with the Eureka Maru.

Seeing Dylan, Beka, and Trance all apparently well and healthy, Rev Bem gave a silent prayer.

"Thank the Divine you are all safe; we were getting most worried."

"Yeah, I'll bet Tyr was praying non-stop for our well-being," Beka commented with raised eyebrows.

"What took you so long?" Tyr drawled as he entered.

"We've had a few…delays." Dylan filled them in over their current situation.

"So you don't know where Harper is?" Rommie asked when he was done.

"Not a clue," Beka sighed.

"Well we can't sit around here for much longer-"

"Don't even think of finishing that sentence Tyr Anasazi!" Beka's eyes flashed angrily. "We are not leaving without Harper, got it?"

"She's right Tyr; we're not leaving without our crew." Dylan said firmly. Tyr shrugged one shoulder and rolled his eyes.

"Fine; do whatever you want. Just try to get back before we run out of fuel and become stuck here permamently." He growled.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Rev Bem asked disregarding Tyr's glower.

"Not at the moment; stay there and be ready for a quick get away…just in case." Dylan said with an ominous look. Rev Bem nodded.

"Now then, let's go find our engineer." With a smile, the communications link ended.

On the Maru, the three friends were sitting silently and trying to think of what their next move should be. Suddenly Trance raised her hand with a sharp intake of breath. Dylan and Beka exchanged amused glances.

"Yes Trance?"

"Maybe we should ask that Priestess lady for help; she might know what the Empress and Tazione plan to do with Harper." She suggested breathlessly. Dylan and Beka stared at her.

"Good idea Trance. Beka?"

"We're on our way. Back to Sibarctica." Beka said with a grin. While she ducked into the pilot's chair, Dylan turned to Trance with a smile.

"Next time don't worry about raising your hand."

"Oh, right," Trance laughed sheepishly.

The ride to Sibarctica was a quiet one as everyone rested, ate, and mulled over everything that had happened in the past few days. It was definitely a strange week, everyone agreed; and yet, this was nothing truly out of the ordinary for them.

Their reception at the Tempiale Di Neve was much the same as their last; with silent, white robed figures leading them inside and then telling them to wait for the Hands of the Goddess.

Alba di Hielo looked much the same as when they had last seen her. Her eyes sparkled a bit more fiercely perhaps, and her face seemed a bit drawn, but her voice was as smooth and soft as ever.

"Welcome my friends. What can I do to aid you?" This took the three crewmembers by surprise.

"Aren't you interested in how our mission is going?" Dylan asked. The priestess didn't blink an eye.

"I am grateful for your help but the matter has resolved itself."

"'Resolved itself'?" Beka repeated as she crossed her arms. Alba smiled at them.

"Yes; the Church and the Empress are reconciled, there is peace now. If we can help you in the future you have but to ask." She made as if to leave but stopped at Dylan's indignant words.

"So, just like that, everything's fine again? Why exactly aren't you concerned about Pegno's death?"

"Because it no longer matters, I am afraid, though I do regret Pegno's fate, of course." Beka's eyes narrowed at the woman's words.

"Wait a minute," She said accusingly, "How did you know Pegno was dead?" Alba replied, in the voice one used when patiently explaining a difficult situation to a young child,

"Because there is a new Hands of the God; that means that the Gods are done with Pegno, he could be nothing else but dead. It was the will of the Gods and not the Empress' fault."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that! Tazione Mauvaise, the leader of the rebels, killed Pegno and the Empress knows about it. She let him kill Pegno." Alba raised her hands in a pleading gesture.

"I would ask you to keep your voice down; this is a place of Prayer after all."

"Yeah, prayer and politics." Beka shot back. Alba gave her an icy stare, suddenly becoming very still. Trance stepped forward and broke the tense silence.

"Wait a minute, you don't think that Harper is your Hands of the God, do you?"

"But of course. If you are referring to Seamus Harper, he has proven himself to be the God's Avatar; he did pass the trials after all. There can be no doubt." Alba was smiling once more while Beka and Dylan were mirror images of each other, each staring with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

"I don't believe this," Dylan muttered.

"Yes well, as the matter is done I must ask you to leave. I am grateful for your assistance for the Gods' will is always mysterious, but we must trust this was meant to be. Now that there is peace and things are settled you can continue on your way." She gave them a polite nod and turned to walk away before any of them could say anything else.

"Do you get the feeling we've become unwanted guests?" Beka muttered as they were escorted outside the temple.

"Just a bit…" Dylan replied as they stepped out of the dark stone walls and squinted in the bright glare of the sun.

A/N: Don't worry, I promise not to give this story up! I like it too much and spent way too much time planning out the plot. I just may be awfully slow in between chapters, that's all. Anyway, the next part will be called: Justice Till then, thanks for reading!


	11. Justice

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature

Justice

Key Words: Equity, rightness, probity _Reversed:_ _law in all departments, excessive severity_

Even as Beka, Dylan, and Trance were trying to plan their next step, Harper was being taken to Sibarctic. Much to his relief the mode of transportation was much nicer than his former one.

He sat in a comfortable chair within a well furnished compartment. Across from him sat Esperanza. Neither spoke. Esperanza sat quietly with her hands folded in her lap, eyes downcast. Harper slumped in his chair, gazing out the window at the passing land. It all looked the same to him, but that could have been because his thoughts were elsewhere.

"What I don't get is why the Empress betrayed Tazione. They seemed like they were good partners," Harper muttered softly. He didn't realize he'd spoken aloud until Esperanza answered him.

"If I may, though I do not fully understand the circumstances; from what you've told me it sounds like the Empress was using Tazione. I stayed in the Palace for a time as an official bard. Pegno Gefallener was truly infatuated with Cielde but he was a spoiled child. His attentions quickly became a bore and annoyance for Her Majesty. That, I'm guessing, is when she noticed the fiery young noble who often rebelled against tradition, and was quickly gaining the displeasure of her other nobles: Tazione Mauvaise. By playing each man against the other she got rid of both, and now has all but no checks to her power."

This was a bit much for Harper to absorb. His eyes had glazed over as she talked and when she finished he blinked slowly.

"For a bard you seemed well versed in politics, no pun intended." He said with a grin.

"Bards are merely politicians with a sweeter voice. Our livelihoods rest with whoever is in power." Esperanza replied promptly. This didn't quite satisfy Harper's curiosity at her keen observations but he was not yet familiar with the customs of this world so he let it go. Nonetheless Harper felt he could trust this strange girl. His record with pretty faces notwithstanding, he sensed that Esperanza would not betray him.

"Listen, all I want to do is go home. This 'god' religion stuff isn't my thing." He confessed, leaning forward in his seat. Esperanza made no sign that this was surprising, as she only smiled at him.

"Don't worry, I will do all I can to help you." She promised. Harper didn't see how she could help him at all; still, it was nice to have a friend and not be bereft in these bizarre circumstances. Despite his doubt he felt strangely comforted by her words.

As Harper's transport sped towards Sibarctica his friends had at last decided, after much debate, to have another conversation with the Lady Alba.

"She made her views pretty clear Dylan. How do you plan on convincing her to change her mind?" Beka asked through chattering teeth. Both she and Dylan were standing close to Trance in a small circle. Neither really noticed that their side closest to Trance didn't seem quite as affected by the bitter cold.

"Maybe we can offer to do something nice for her," Trance suggested. "I could give her some of my plants from Hydroponics." She offered after a moment's hesitation. Dylan smiled in appreciation of Trance's offer.

"That's very thoughtful of you Trance but your plants would probably die in this cold." Trance's face fell as she nodded.

"You still haven't answered my question." Beka reminded Dylan.

"Do you have a better plan to get Harper off of this place? Because if you do I'm more than willing to hear it." Dylan said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Point taken," Beka muttered.

Alba di Hielo was kneeling in her private Chapel, lost in prayer. The stone beneath her knees was cold and hard, mimicking the love of her Gods. There was a distinct lack of warmth in the room but Alba found the numbing cold a comfort. It was said that the most common death for Gods' Avatars was to wander into the freezing tundra's and let their bodies succumb to the elements. The thought of lying down to an everlasting sleep of peace filled Alba with serenity. Some days she even looked forward to when the Goddess was done with her.

"My Lady," A soft spoken priestess filled the doorway to the chapel. Alba opened her eyes and slowly stood up. She knew all the priests and priestesses name's by heart but she rarely used them. It was better not to get too close lest some of the reverence they felt for her –and thus, the Goddess Herself- dimmed.

"Why do you interrupt my prayer?" Cold but silent is the gentle fall of snowflakes; such was the High Priestess' voice.

"Forgive me My Lady but it is the foreigners. They have returned and demand another audience with you." The girl gave a nervous, but nonetheless graceful, bow. Alba sighed at the news and wondered how she could rid herself of these nuisances. Why couldn't they just accept the fate of their friend? It was probably a better fate then the ones that waited for them.

"Very well, I shall see them." She turned and followed the young priestess to the entrance hall, her face cool and composed, betraying no hint of annoyance at once more being confronted with these foreigners.

"Lady Alba I apologize but we will not accept our friend being kept here against his will." Dylan spoke as she entered. Beka stood beside him with arms folded and face unflinching. Trance stood on the opposite side of their captain; her hands behind her back and inoffensive gaze resting on Alba.

"You have no choice unless you wish to wage war with our entire solar system." Alba stated firmly. She was in no mood to be polite at the moment.

"Look, we came here to help you. We risked our welfare in order to solve a problem that had nothing to do with us. The least you could do would be to show a little gratitude." Beka pointed out icily.

"Surely promoting one of your own to the status of God-in-Mortal-Form is gratitude enough?" The priestess tilted her head while gazing at Beka with wide eyes.

"The point is that he became so against his will," Dylan said, but before he could continue Alba interjected.

"Are you certain it was against his will?" Warily Dylan and Beka exchanged glances.

"Sorry lady. I've known Harper for a long time and much as he may joke, he would never leave the Andromeda –or us- to go live in some strange land, even if he did get to be treated like a god." Beka finally answered. Alba was becoming increasingly impatient but hid this behind a sweet smile and open arms.

"Well then perhaps you do have a case. However it is not for me to decide." She said before the hopes of the three friends could rise.

"Really? Then whose decision is it?" Doubt dripped from Beka's voice and it was all she could do to refrain from glaring at the woman. She was more than certain that Alba was toying with them on purpose.

"As Hands of the Goddess I am the partner to the Hands of the God; therefore neither one of us can judge the other. We can represent them, if necessary, but never make decisions for or about them. Unless you would prefer for me to stay here all day and explain the complexities of P'Laraskan legalities, suffice it to say that there is a council that is neutral to both the Religious and Imperial branches of government.

"When a decision cannot easily be made by either branch than it is up to the Council to choose; and hope that what they decide is the will of the Gods as well."

"Alright; where do we find this council?" Dylan inquired.

"Why, I believe you have already met its leader." Alba's smile reminded Beka of a snake. The image was not a comforting one.

"Really?" Dylan replied with raised eyebrows.

"Indeed, it is none other than the Messir Prévoyant; or the Oracle, as you may call him in your tongue. The council meets whenever he calls them to do so. If you want to take your friend from P'Laraska, it is him that you must speak with. I hope I have helped, now if you will excuse me." For the second time she turned and walked away before they could answer.

"That woman does like her dramatic exits, and how does she know we visited the Prévoyant anyway?" Beka muttered darkly.

"So are we going to visit that Oracle guy again?" Trance piped up for the first time since re-entering the temple.

"It doesn't sound like we have a choice," Dylan admitted.

"Yeah…that's what bothers me." Beka replied.

Harper was dreaming. In his dream he was sitting upon a great throne. All around him was darkness. He was staring at his lap and as he did so a tiny column of ants began to crawl over his legs. His arm moved as though it were a machine and one by one he crushed the ants. There was no feeling of disgust at their mangled bodies or puzzlement as to why he was crushing them. He did so because he could.

Suddenly the ants seemed to grow. Their heads took on human faces but the rest of them remained as crushed ant bodies. Harper wanted to scream but he was frozen. He had turned to stone; or was it ice? Suddenly his body was shaking uncontrollably.

"Stop…stop it!" He woke screaming. Esperanza jumped at his sudden yell. She had been gently shaking his shoulder to wake him up.

"I'm sorry My Lord, to awaken you, but we are almost there." She looked concerned for him and Harper gave a shaky laugh.

"Sir, if you don't mind my saying so; be careful of the Lady Alba. She will consider you her equal, but as you have just become the God's Avatar she will seek to guide you."

"Guide me to do whatever she wants me to, you mean." He finished for her. Esperanza nodded solemnly.

"She is a very powerful woman. Sometimes I wonder that P'Laraska won't become choked between two such powerful women as Alba and Cielde." She turned her head to look out the window with a thoughtful expression upon her face. Harper thought she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever met –and yet he did not feel at all like flirting with her. At least not serious flirting.

The transport came to a slow stop as they arrived in the city. As the two waited for the guards to escort them off Harper found himself unable to look away from the woman across from him.

"Is something wrong?" She noticed his steady gaze and met it with her own. Those sincere eyes were too much for Harper.

"No…yes," he said unabashed. "I'm scared." He didn't know what to expect her reaction to be, although he hoped she wouldn't laugh.

"That is good; you should be." Esperanza remarked calmly. For some reason her words lacked comfort this time.

So even as Dylan, Beka, and Trance left for the small village outside of Herz d'Eises in an attempt to rescue their friend, Harper was escorted into the Tempiale Di Neve where he was greeted by Alba di Hielo.

"Welcome Seamus Harper. It is good to greet the God's Chosen." Her smile was true but she held her hands out to grasp his and he felt the coldness from them spread throughout his body. Somehow he managed to return her smile.

"Thank you Alba di Hielo." He glanced to his side where Esperanza stood, head bowed. "Your gracious welcome has warmed my heart." It sounded a little corny, even to him, but he was at a loss of what sort of protocol to use. In fact, he hadn't the slightest idea of what to do. The longing to go back to his old life was nearly overwhelming. But Esperanza's presence was soothing; a solid rock amidst a treacherous ocean. She reminded him of Trance though he couldn't exactly say why.

Alba watched the new Hands of the God with perceptive eyes. He was scared and uncomfortable, that much was obvious. It would make her life much easier and so she smiled once more. He didn't meet her eyes but looked around the temple or at the young woman at his side. After studying the girl, who was a perfect picture of demure humility, she at last concluded that the young woman was harmless. She would be watched, of course, but for the moment she decided the two could remain together.

After so long her work was finally coming to fruition. Nothing, not even the devotion of this man's friends, would stop her from pursuing her goals. She would make sure of that.

A/N: There, are you guys happy now:fends off scary reviewers: really I'm flattered…but I was getting seriously worried about what would happen if I didn't update at least one story before I went on vacation. Well, not really vacation; it's a conference thing; for which I had to do research and write essays, which put a damper on my writing time/inspiration. I finally decided to grind out the next chapter of this before I left. My other story will have to wait until I come back.

But seriously, I can't thank you all enough for your enthusiasm and just for reviewing in general. The next chapter is called: The Hanged Man

Thanks! –Luna Sealeaf


	12. The Hanged Man

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature

The Hanged Man

Key Words: Wisdom, circumspection, trials, sacrifice, intuition, prophecy.

"_What_?" Dylan roared angrily. Even Beka looked a little startled at his vehemence, resting a cautionary hand on his arm to remind him that they weren't exactly in a position of power. He gave her a wary gaze and lowered his voice slightly. "You can't expect me to believe that in your entire history there hasn't been at least one person who's given up their role as Avatars for your gods?"

His question was met by a circle of ancient faces that watched him with no sign of concern for his outbursts. In the center, on a slightly higher seat than all the rest, was the Oracle, or Messir Prévoyant, as the natives called him, and it was he who spoke to Dylan and answered his questions.

"The only way a person may leave the Destiny given to him by the Gods is through death. That is the only rest and reward received by the servants of the Gods."

"But Harper isn't one of you, he's our friend!" Trance interjected. The three of them were tired and frustrated. An eternity surely had passed since they'd last been on the Andromeda. To Beka's mind, even a near death situation was better than this endless politicking. She reminded herself to never, ever, let Dylan get them tangled up in a planet's politics again.

"The Gods know neither borders nor nationalities. It is not for us to question Them." Messir Prévoyant explained.

Dylan said nothing but turned and talked to Beka and Trance in a low voice.

"I think we're out of options…"

"_Diplomatic _options, you mean." Beka protested. The captain gave her an incredulous look.

"Beka, we're not going to blow their world up."

"No, but they don't know that." She insisted, crossing her arms obstinately. To leave would be to admit defeat; to admit defeat was to condemn Harper to abandonment on a strange world surrounded by strange people. Dylan sighed and brushed his hand across his eyes, feeling a headache starting.

"Alright, I guess it's worth a shot…" He turned around and once more addressed the Council.

"I'm afraid you leave me no choice. Seamus Harper is a member of the Systems Commonwealth and you have no right to hold him here against his will; if you do not release him we will be forced to take aggressive actions." Almost immediately guards stepped forward with weapons raised. Even though he knew they were drastically outnumbered Dylan reached for his forcelance.

"You forget, Captain," The old man's voice matched his dour expression. As he spoke he raised a hand to keep the guards from moving any closer. "Seamus Harper took the trials of his own free will, no one forced him to."

"That's what you think," Beka muttered angrily, but knew they couldn't prove otherwise.

"Unless you are planning to go to war with an entire planetary system, I suggest you leave your weapons out of this. You are a guest on our planet, but I'm afraid that if you keep persisting in your efforts to kidnap our High Priest we shall be forced to arrest you." He stood and left, moving much faster than he looked.

Dylan, Beka, and Trance were left alone with the guards, their situation becoming more hopeless by the minute.

Harper awoke to the sound of singing. For a moment disorientation flooded his mind and he sat up slowly. The music was not the singing of the priestesses and this confused him.

The sound was coming from an open window –which also explained the distinct lack of heat in the room- that led onto a balcony. Bringing a blanket wrapped tightly around him and with teeth chattering so loudly that it nearly drowned out the beautiful song.

_In my hands  
A legacy of memories  
I can hear you say my name  
I can almost see your smile  
Feel the warmth of your embrace  
But there is nothing but silence now  
Around the one I loved  
Is this our farewell?_

There, on the balcony and facing the rising sun, was Esperanza. The dim light cast a golden sheen to her hair, so that it was nearly the same color as his. Dressed in a plain white dress so thin Harper was sure she must feel the frigid air as though it were against her bare skin, she looked rather like an angel might.

She strummed a small stringed instrument while her clear voice sang. Captivated by the sad melody Harper stood and watched her, oblivious to the chill.

_Sweet darling you worry too much, my child  
See the sadness in your eyes  
You are not alone in life  
Although you might think that you are_

_So sorry your world is tumbling down  
I will watch you through these nights  
Rest your head and go to sleep  
Because my child, this is not our farewell.  
This is not our farewell._

Her voice ended in a whisper and the last notes were carried away by the breeze. Still Esperanza did not turn or even seem to notice he was there.

"That's a pretty song. It sort of sounds familiar." He commented sleepily. Esperanza turned with a smile; it looked rather sad to Harper, but his eyes were still blurred from sleep, so he couldn't be sure. The sun's new light spreading over the frozen tundra did not help his sight.

"It's a very old song. I doubt you've heard it before."

"It sounded kind of sad."

"That's because it's a true song, at least for me." He had no answer for that, but he did not need one. Her expression resumed its normal sweetness and she took his hand to lead him back inside.

"What were you doing up so early anyway?" He had never seen her rise so early before.

"I was greeting the dawn. Come, we must continue with your lessons before you break your fast with My Lady Alba."

"It's freakin' cold in here! How can they expect me to memorize anything when my brain is freezing?" Harper exclaimed. For what seemed like the hundredth time he stood and paced around his small chamber in a futile attempt to get warm.

Beside the small bed that was his, Esperanza sat on a chair with a large book open on her lap, calm eyes watching him as he paced.

"You must come from a warm climate." She scrutinized him for a moment before continuing. "I wouldn't be surprised if your face turned blue, you're shaking so hard."

"I live on a ship where the climate is perfectly regulated so that it's never too hot or too cold! I used to think planets weren't so bad, but now I'm beginning to agree with Beka, atmospheres suck!" The thought of Beka brought him to a halt and he felt a little guilty for snapping at Esperanza.

"I know you must miss your friends dearly."

"More than I thought I could," Harper admitted. What wouldn't he give to even have just one of them there with him? Trance, Beka, Rev Bem or maybe even Dylan would have made his plight much easier to bear.

"Well no doubt you'll see them soon. You should go now or you'll be late." She snapped the book shut and Harper cringed internally.

"You're not coming with me?"

"I'm just a bard, my Lord. Hardly fit company for the High Priest and High Priestess!"

"But," he felt more than a little panicked at facing Her Holiness all by himself. "Can't you come and sing, or tell a story, or something!" With a rather heartless laugh, in his opinion at least, Esperanza shook her head.

"Entertainment is for late suppers not breakfast! You'll be fine Harper. You're the Hands of the God and don't forget it." Harper blinked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," She lowered her voice as though to keep others from hearing. "That you are equal to her in every way. Do not fear her."

But as Harper was dressing himself in a smaller room next to the bedchamber he heard Esperanza singing to herself once more.

_When leaves have fallen  
And skies turned into grey.  
The night keeps on closing in on the day  
A nightingale sings his song of farewell  
You better hide for her freezing hell_

Probably she had not meant for him to hear the words. Certainly they offered no comfort whatsoever. Heart heavy with dread, Harper prepared to dine with Lady Alba.

The dinner was, just as he had feared, long and awkward. The people of the temple already thought he was strange; the night he had arrived a dozen or more servants had tried to dress him and bring him food. Feeling rather panicked, Harper had asked them all to go away. The men and women had obeyed at once; so quickly it was eerie.

Somehow he managed not to say or do anything too disgraceful. The clothes he wore were not his own; they were a white tunic and long pants. Lady Alba was dressed much the same, except she was wearing a dress of the same material.

No sooner had he breathed a sigh of relief as the food was cleared away from the table then Alba stood and declared in a soft voice,

"Come, let us make our way to the chapel." Without a word everyone else seated at the table stood as one, Harper following their example a half-beat later than everyone else. Alba waited for him to stand at her side before proceeding.

The chapel was in the center of the Temple; the place was just as large, airy, and cold as everywhere else, but there was a silence different from the rest of the building. It was not a silence that brought death to mind, or of frozen stunted growth; it was a comforting quiet, and for this reason Harper preferred it to the rest of the Temple.

Still, silence and quiet were not his elements and everything was still strange. His life aboard the Andromeda felt like a dream. Or was this a dream? These people watching him and bowing? Feeling disoriented, Harper sank to his knees while, standing at his side, Alba raised a brilliantly silver staff marked with dark etchings and glittering with clear stones. She began to chant in the native tongue of P'Laraska. Light from the roof windows reflected on the bright gems and cast beams throughout the room. The entire crowd of people was half-singing, half chanting, except for Harper. His heart was beating faster and he could not take his eyes from the bright stream of light.

The singing became faster, the light brighter. More than anything Harper wanted to get out of there, but there were too many people blocking his way. With a surge of despair he held his head in his hands.

_Is this where I'm meant to be? Is this my destiny…?_

At last the ceremony ended. Filled with unexplainable exhaustion Harper found his way to his room. Welcoming the peaceful lack of people, Harper nevertheless called out for Esperanza. She didn't answer and he entered the main chamber, wondering if she had already gone to sleep. But the bard was not in any of his rooms; beginning to feel worried he walked to the balcony where he had found her earlier. There was no sign of her. Unsure of what to do next he leaned on the railing, staring out into the dark night.

Then he heard something; it sounded like a person. But where was it coming from? Harper started to call out and then stopped. Could it be an assassin? Lady Alba had assured him that the people of P'Laraska were all very devout and would accept him as their God's Avatar regardless of his being a foreigner. Yet Esperanza had warned him that he should be afraid of the High Priestess and Harper's own experience of people in power told him to be on his guard.

The sounds continued and Harper stepped away from the railing, fists clenching; if only he had some sort of weapon! Whoever was making the noise was climbing up the wall; suddenly a dark form leaned up over the railing. It reached out a black hand; Harper steeled himself, ready to yell for help –and then the form fell. Struggling with a long dark cloak the person stood up.

"Harper is that you? Harper? I think I'm stuck!" A voice issued from the cloth.

"Trance! Is that you! What are you doing here? How did you find me? Are you alone?" He kept babbling questions as he helped Trance get untangled from the cloak. When she was free she smiled up at him.

"Are you okay Harper?" The relief at seeing one of his friends again was overwhelming; he threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Aw man am I glad to see you Trance! This place is awful! You gotta get me out of here!" Trance laughed at his enthusiasm.

"Trust me, we're working on it." Her face grew serious. "But getting you out of here is a lot harder than we'd thought it would be. Harper, why did you go with Tazione and the Empress? I warned you not to."

"They threatened to hurt you and Dylan and Beka, I didn't know what else to do." Harper released her and stepped away.

"You could have trusted us." She pointed out.

"Well excuse me for caring about my friends!" He replied angrily. Seeing his hurt expression Trance didn't answer.

"We've tried everything we can think of so far Harper, but everyone here keeps threatening to imprison us, or worse, if we try to take you back."

"What do you expect me to do? No one tells me anything. I'm supposed to be equal to Alba but no listens to me and instead do whatever she tells them to. I asked if I could leave…"

"And?"

"They said no." His voice was flat.

"We're running out of ideas Harper. Our best one so far has been sneaking me up here; and climbing that wall wasn't easy!" Her words were not bringing the comfort her presence had promised. Frustrated, Harper paced the small area of the balcony.

"There's nothing, nothing at all you can tell us to help us find a way to rescue you?" Trance continued. Harper shook his head hopelessly.

"All I know is that the Empress used Tazione to make me the Hands of the God. I don't know why exactly; I think it had something to do with giving herself more power. Now all she has to deal with is Alba." Trance looked thoughtful at his explanation of all that had happened to him, minus a few details, since they had been separated.

"I don't know Harper." Was all she could think of to say. Harper sighed, his heart heavy.

"Maybe you should tell Dylan to leave. Go back to the Andromeda."

"We're not going to abandon you Harper!" Trance protested indignantly.

"I didn't say you were! I'm not gonna sit here for the rest of my life, being used for other people's gains! But if there's nothing else you can do, you guys should regroup." Anxiously he ran a hand through his hair. "Think up a plan with Rommie and Rev…and Tyr. I don't know; it just doesn't seem like there's anything else to be gained by you guys staying here."

Trance said nothing. She stared at the floor and tried not to cry.

"You'll come back. I can stay here a little while longer without going crazy if I know you'll come back." He tried to smile.

"You're already crazy Harper," Trance murmured. This time it was she who flung her arms around him. He returned the embrace.

"Just promise me you'll come back."

"Beka's not going to like this," Trance muttered, face pressed against his shoulder.

"Trance…" She looked up at him solemnly.

"Harper, I promise."

A/N: Sorry it took so long to write this. Hopefully next one won't take so long. Thanks for reading! –Luna Sealeaf

Next Chapter: Death


	13. Death

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature

Death

Many things came easily to Seamus Harper. He had been born with a gifted mind, when he chose to use it, but ironically he had also been given the worst possible living conditions in which to use his gifts. On the other hand, some might say that without such difficult circumstances his potential might not have surfaced so quickly or easily. Until such time as a reliable time machine was created however the matter was irrelevant: Harper could never know what his life and intellect might have been had he been born on a planet other than Post-Fall Earth.

Mathematics, physics, mechanics…generally these things came rather easily to Harper, though to others his methods seemed hasty and sloppy. Waiting was one of the many things he was decidedly not gifted in.

"You're pacing again, My Lord,"

"Esperanza I told you to quit calling me that. I'm not 'Lord'. And I'm not pacing!" He snapped irritably, his pace quickening as he made circles around the small interior of his main chamber.

"Why are you so restless?" It was maddening, to feel this trapped and helpless while she, who could leave whenever she wished, instead lounged upon one of the few cushioned chairs that adorned his room.

"It's been almost a week since Trance left! I can't avoid Alba much longer and I'm so freakin bored that I'm gonna start pulling out my hair to weave a rope out of it just so I can get out of this goddam-"

"Trance said that Dylan wanted you to keep from saying anything to Lady Alba that would make their case more difficult. I fail to see how this restricts you to your room." She raised a curious eyebrow and watched his tense movements with interest. Every part of him, even when he stood still, seemed to be moving. Combined with his height –or lack thereof- he brought to mind a tiny, pulsating ball of energy.

"Come on, by now you must realize that I haven't the slightest idea of how to be a priest, or oracle, or whatever the hell I'm supposed to be! Alba only listens to a word I say when I don't want her to! With my luck I'll probably say something that'll make me locked up in this temple forever."

"Did the Lady Alba tell you that you could not leave?" Esperanza's gaze narrowed slightly but her voice contained only calm curiosity. Something about her manner changed enough that Harper stopped walking to turn and look at her.

"No, but if I even look out the window all the guards within twenty meters start 'casually' making their way towards me." His grumpy sarcasm elicited a laugh from the bard.

"Do you honestly think they'll try and stop you? Would they really try and hurt _you_? The Hands of the God?"

"Alba told them my friends were threatening me…that if I left it would be under duress, or something." He still looked glum, but her question brought a hopeful gleam to his eye.

"Well you need some sunlight eventually, don't you? You'll wither if you stay inside all the time. How could they possibly keep you from a walk out on the temple grounds, or even an escorted trip to the city?"

"You really think they'd let me leave?"

"It's not as though they have a choice. If Lady Alba wants to be such a stickler to religious law about you being our Chosen One, then she has to accept the whole of the law, and that law states that the two of you are equals. You can't defy her and she cannot defy you."

"So what happens if we disagree on something? Sounds like a stalemate to me,"

"That's where the Council and, more so, the Empress comes into play. Trust me; it's a very complicated system of checks and balances. Anyway, are you up for a stroll?" Harper returned her grin with a grateful one of his own.

"I can't tell you how good that sounds! I haven't felt this caged-up since I lived on-" He stopped mid-sentence and turned away hastily. Esperanza finished the sentence for him.

"Since you lived on Earth?" Aghast, Harper stared at her in surprise mingled with suspicion.

"How did you…?"

"I know many things, especially about you, Lord Harper." Her smile and demure lowering of her eyes seemed very different from when Harper had first met this bard-woman.

"Who –what- are you?" He demanded wide-eyed.

"Someone you can trust," She laughed heartily as he narrowed his eyes.

As the Eureka Maru docked in Andromeda's familiar bay Beka was torn with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she still felt angry and guilty for leaving a crewmember behind. On the other hand, it was such a wonderful relief to be back. Never one for planets, she had developed an even greater disliking for P'Laraska. Dylan and Trance seemed just as tired and just as grateful to be back as she did.

The three were met by Rev Bem, who was wearing an expression Beka couldn't quite identify. This was odd because Beka had known Rev for quite some time and, despite his being a magog, she felt she knew his expressions of his emotions fairly well. The look on his face was either a smile or a grimace or, given the circumstances, a little of both.

"It is good to see all of you safely returned," He looked over the three of them and then obviously looked for Harper to follow.

"He's still in Sibarctica, but at least we know where he is." Dylan explained.

"So then I take it we are not leaving just yet?" Of course, it was unthinkable that they would leave without Harper.

"Not yet," Trance answered.

"We'll get something to eat and rest for a little while, then let's meet on Command to figure out…something." They nodded in agreement with the Captain's words and dispersed.

An hour passed; the crew met and talked; and talked, and talked… none of them could come up with a reasonable solution that might work. At last Dylan told them they'd sleep on it, and told Beka and Trance to relax, reassuring them with a smile,

"We deserve a break. After all, Mr. Harper's living like a god, isn't he?"

Once again Harper's sleep was shortened by the ringing of loud bells.

"What is with these people? The sun comes up every freakin' day! They don't need to announce it to the whole damn planet!" He half yelled, half groaned, as he rolled out of his bed. Esperanza slept in a room next to his, so there was no one to hear his words but himself. Still, just voicing his displeasure made him feel a tiny bit better.

Per usual, he dressed in extremely expensive looking and (in his opinion) weird looking clothes. His own clothing, he had been informed, was thrown away because no one could figure out how to get them clean. Harper had mourned the loss not because the clothes were especially nice or even because he liked them; it was simply that they were the last visible connection he had to the Andromeda –and his real life.

No sooner had he finished dressing than a sharp pounding on the door announced his escort was there to take him to morning prayers.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming." He mumbled, still rubbing his tired eyes.

"Hail the glorious sun my Lord," The first of the three priests greeted him, all three bowing simultaneously.

"Whatever." The Hands of the God had already given up on trying to play the role forced upon him. He had lost track of his time spent here in this prison of stone walls. Though Esperanza had assured him he was free to at least go outside on Temple grounds and even into the nearby city, Alba had explained that it would certainly cause too much stir for him to go into the city unannounced (it would be most inconvenient to the ordinary people, who would all no doubt stop whatever they were doing to show respect for him) and until he was used the frigid climate, she didn't think he ought to leave the 'warmth' of the Temple.

Denied even the most basic of freedoms, Harper had quickly become restless, frustrated, and temperamental.

"Hail the glorious sun, my Lord." Esperanza said with demurely lowered eyes, kneeling behind him in the Chapel. She always acted formal and shy outside of his chambers and it annoyed him that she couldn't be a friend in public as well as in private.

"It's a pretty pathetic excuse for a sun, if you ask me." He whispered back, barely remembering to lower his voice. Esperanza didn't look up but her mouth tightened as though wanting to reprimand him.

"Perhaps prayer will bring you warmth," She replied sweetly. He snorted a laugh; he could picture Beka or Trance saying the exact same thing, though perhaps in a less convincing tone of voice.

The hour of prayer dragged by; Harper lost the feeling in his knees after the first half hour. The morning hours were supposed to be a time of contemplation, so little, usually nothing at all, was said during breakfast. The careful silence was straining Harper's nerves.

He was free for the rest of the day except for meals and intervals of prayer. Instead of staying in his chambers to talk with Esperanza, as was his usual habit, he instead walked around the Temple, hoping to find something to relieve his boredom. When he found nothing but a dusty old library filled with books in a language he couldn't understand, he began pacing through the halls at a feverish pace. Servants and members of the Temple watched him with concerned curiosity, but no one dared say anything to him.

To break the silence Harper kept a steady monologue in his mind, though sometimes he ended up muttering to himself until a worried look from a passerby reminded him where he was.

It was late, after supper, when he at last returned to his room.

"There you are! What have you been doing? I was worried about you-" Esperanza practically pounced on him the moment he closed the door. She cut herself off at the sight of him. His skin had lost most of what little color he had, and there were dark circles under his eyes from poor and too little sleep. Walking all day was not something he was accustomed to and he swayed on his feet.

"You look terrible," She told him. Putting a hand on his forehead after he didn't answer she frowned. "And you're sweating; no wonder you're shivering! Change quickly or else you'll get sick."

"Yes Mom," Harper replied with a weak smile, going to do as she told him to. He paused at the stricken look on her face, but before he could ask what the matter was, she just shook her head.

"Honestly, I don't what you've been up to all day."

"Nothing worthwhile," Harper remarked bitterly from his closet.

"Well, really, what did you expect to find?"

"I don't know, something to do. I'm so tired –and bored…I wish Dylan and Beka would come and get me."

"Don't you think if there was anything here that was interesting I would have told you about it?"

"I didn't know you were that familiar with the Temple," Harper replied tiredly as he returned in clean clothing. Once more Esperanza quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, the best I can tell you is that there's a library with some books that might be of interest to you, all kinds really-"

"I found it," Harper interrupted. "But I can't speak P'Laraskan, or whatever it is they're in."

"Veuiant."

"Bless you,"

"No, no," Esperanza said with a roll of her eyes and a reluctant laugh, "It's the name of the written language. I mean, for daily communication or quick notes and that sort of thing there's a basic and easy alphabet, but for important books or records we use Veuiant, the old language."

"Oh, that's nice," Harper said with a yawn.

"Even though _you_ can't read them, _I _can. I can read them out loud to you, if you'd like."

"It's not as though I've got anything better to do," Harper muttered, collapsing onto his bed.

Back on the Andromeda, tensions were becoming strained. Everyone, including Rommie, was sitting in the mess hall trying to think of a way to get Harper back to the Andromeda without starting a war.

"It would be easier to break Harper out of jail than to sneak him off that planet," Dylan remarked after a silence.

"Don't be so sure," Beka snorted, exchanging glances with Rev. Seeing their amused looks Dylan sighed and shook his head.

"Don't tell me. I don't want to know." The mood turned somber once more.

"Maybe we could find someone else to be the Hands of the God, you know, have someone else do that trial thing that Harper did." Trance suggested.

"I don't think that would work. Remember what that Messir guy said? Something about Harper being the Hands of the God for the rest of his life."

"Sitting here deliberating is getting nowhere. Meanwhile we're running low on certain essential supplies," Tyr growled his irritation at the seemingly unsolvable problem before them apparent.

"If Harper died, then the office could pass on to another?" Rev Bem questioned thoughtfully.

"Well, yes, but I don't think killing Harper will solve the problem," Beka said with raised eyebrows.

"I beg to differ," Tyr muttered, earning himself a sharp glare from the first officer.

"No, of course I wasn't suggesting we actually kill Harper." He said the words with careful annunciation. After a moment practically the same idea dawned on everyone's faces.

"That might actually work," Rommie said with a surprised smile.

Harper awoke to a pounding headache. A soft hand was laid upon his forehead and he struggled to open his eyes. As his sight focused he realized Esperanza was leaning over him, her silvery hair cascading over her shoulders and tickling his neck.

"What time is it?" He asked wearily.

"Sometime around noon, I believe." She answered without removing her hand.

"Noon?" He tried to sit up. "What about morning prayers?" A sharp pain in his chest convinced him to remain horizontal.

"You didn't answer the servants' knocking. They were very worried."

"So why didn't they wake me up?" he was still feeling very confused.

"They didn't want to enter your room without your permission," she explained with a small smile.

"What if I had been in here bleeding to death?"

"First of all, don't joke about that," this was said somewhat sterner than he had expected, "secondly, they would have believed it to be the God's will and not something to interfere with."

"Whatever happened to 'God helps those who help themselves." At the blank look she gave him he sighed and let it go.

"You have a fever…I'll have to go find some medicines." Harper grinned weakly.

"Surely medicines might interfere-"

"God provided me to take care of you," She replied with all the conviction of a pious believer. Harper would have laughed except it hurt too much.

"What's wrong with me anyway?" He questioned before she left. Pausing before the door, she didn't turn to look at him.

"It's probably nothing. Probably more of a mental sickness, or just a cold." This was hardly an answer but she left before he could demand a cleared explanation.

Still, uncomfortable though it was, Harper was used to being sick. He decided not to mention that suddenly catching a fever or a cold wasn't at all unusual for him. To alleviate his boredom Esperanza sat by his side and read from a pile of books she brought up from the library, her crisp sweet voice often lulling him to sleep.

His illness worsened throughout the night until he drifted into delirium. All that time no one entered his chamber except Esperanza, and he wondered afterwards if he might have died but for her care.

Whatever the sickness, he quickly began to recover, enough so that Esperanza would go and bring him food instead of calling a servant to bring some. Alone for the first time in two days Harper wrapped the blanket around him and walked out onto the balcony of his room. He knew he shouldn't be out in the cold but he couldn't stand the stuff room any longer.

Gazing up into the sky he wondered if he wasn't suffering from anything greater than homesickness. Surely Dylan and Beka ought to have come for him by now. Had they decided to just leave? Or had something happened to him?

The sun was setting and dark shadows stretched their fingers across the horizon. In the distance he could see the dark shapes of houses and other buildings. What if he never saw the Andromeda again? That was such a terrible thought that it made him physically shiver.

"If you're cold why are you outside?" At the sound of the voice Harper whirled around, heart racing with gladness.

"Trance!" Indeed, it was Trance, once more climbing up the wall and over the balcony railing. He ran to greet her and stopped a fit of coughing making it difficult to see or even stand.

"Harper are you alright?" Instantly she was at his side, looking over him worriedly.

"I'm fine Trance," He cleared his throat and waved her hand away. "Have you guys figured out a way to get me out of here?" Trance frowned, not sure if he was feverish because of anxiety or illness. The rims of his eyes were red but his skin was far too pale.

"Yes, but you'll have to tell us if you think it won't work." He nodded eagerly and she continued. "One of us will disguise ourselves as a villager and ask you to come bless a sick family member-"

"They won't let me leave the temple, and even if they did, they wouldn't let me go anywhere without an escort." Harper told her, his hope sinking.

"Dylan and Beka thought of that. Whoever it is will say they had a vision that only you –alone, by yourself- could save our relative, but we'll tell everyone where we're going. At the place we're supposed to be we'll make it look like you were murdered and then leave in the Maru."

Harper thought carefully, trying to find holes in the plan.

"You think Alba will buy that stuff about a vision?" Trance gave a helpless shrug.

"We thought you could help out by saying you also had a vision…or something," She shifted nervously. It was so good to see a familiar face again that Harper wanted to hug her. It was unbearable that in a few minutes she'd have to leave and he would once more lose all contact with the crew of Andromeda.

"Well, I guess it's worth a try." He finally said. She smiled and took his hands.

"I'm sure it will work Harper. You'll be on the Andromeda and we'll all be out of here in no time." She promised. He nodded, trying to feel hopeful, and she peered into his face anxiously. "Are you sure you're not sick?"

"I'm getting over a cold,"

"Just- just be careful Harper. This will all be over soon."

"I hope so." They embraced and then Trance was quickly scrambling back over the balcony. Harper desperately wanted to follow her, sure that the Eureka Maru –and most likely Beka- was waiting nearby. But he knew he couldn't climb down the wall in his condition, and if he was caught he'd probably be locked into a windowless room for his 'safety' whereas if Trance were caught she could probably talk her way out of trouble.

That night Harper's dreams, no doubt induced by the fever, were haunting and vivid. He was standing on a rocky floor, trying to climb up something he couldn't see. Suddenly everything around him moved and he fell…and fell, the ground giving way beneath him. He was buried…screaming, trying to get out….

"Harper wake up!" Esperanza was shaking him and abruptly he was awake. The sheets were twisted around him and he was sweating and shivering.

"Do…do Hands of the Gods ever dream about the future?" He asked, gasping for breath. Esperanza studied him carefully.

"Sometimes."

He said nothing else, but drank the tea she brought for him and then tried to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come and he spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, trying to drive from his mind that horrible sensation of being buried alive.

Thanks to everyone who's still reading this…I'll do my best to write the next chapter very quickly. I think I can honestly say it'll be done within a week cause it's a pretty cool chapter (in my opinion anyways) and tis called: The Devil


	14. The Devil

**The Cold Destiny**

Author: Luna Sealeaf

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Andromeda, am not making any profit from this, it's purely for fun.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe, since later chapters may become more mature

The Devil

Key Words: Ravage, violence, vehemence, extraordinary efforts, fatality; that which is predestined…but not for this reason evil.

_My dear, you're concern is beginning to resemble a lack of faith. Do not fear; our purpose is just and the will of the Gods. Soon this shall be made known to you; undeniable proof shall be shown, this I have seen._

_Meanwhile take the time to purge yourself from this heretical doubt._

_-M.P. _

Darkness lay over the land, grown cold with the distant setting of the sun. Silent clouds sped past the quarter moon. Outside, all was quiet and still; not even the sound of a chill breeze could be heard.

Twas a fell night, the people of P'Laraska would claim with a shake of their heads. No good can come during the time when the Goddess draws a veil over her face.

Inside the temple, something was occurring that had not done so for many years. A great feast was being held, in honor of the new Hands of the God. The God's Avatar, known privately as Harper to some, almost could not recognize the temple, so changed was it for the festivities.

The somber grey walls were covered in glittering gold and silver tapestries that displayed scenes of exciting divinity; the dark rooms were glaringly bright with countless candles and torches, all of which were within glittering silver and gold bases. From the ceiling hung garlands of flowers imported from other planets in the system; their heavy scent filled the air and was almost as intoxicating as the heady drink being served. And the people!

Harper watched, with nothing less than shocked amazement, at the crowds of revelers filling the Temple. He, along with Alba di Hielo, was seated upon a great dais in the Chapel; since it was the largest room it had been converted into the ballroom. Strands of jewels and more glittery cloth of bright colors decorated the dais which made of what looked like solid gold and edged in silver. Gone were the dull priest and priestesses: in their place were demi-gods of shimmering beauty and splendid colors. All those who lived in the Temple wore gorgeous masks, marking the villagers and nearby nobility by their bare faces. The dazzling scents of perfume, flowers, foods and strong drink alone were enough to overwhelm Harper. It would all have been gaudy if it weren't so beautiful. Still recovering from his sickness, he had declined to dance with several beautiful young women. This was his official, though regrettable, decision, but the truth was that he did not know any of the dances. The music was just as enjoyable to listen to however; it was fast and had a sort of wild rhythm that made the accompanying dances a splendid thing of grace.

"Will you not eat Lord Harper? Our guests will be disappointed if you do not enjoy yourself." Despite her amiable voice and laughter, the hardness in Alba's eyes still remained.

"No thank you," He replied meekly. The food smelled good, but just looking at it made him want to run for the nearest bathroom.

"Some vin-qui then, perhaps?" She offered him a tall crystal class filled with a pale pink liquid. Harper eagerly agreed, already having had two glasses earlier. As Alba disappeared into the crowd, accompanied by a tall masked priest, Esperanza sidled next to his chair.

Her brilliant silver hair was tied back in the front; the rest was left to cascade over her shoulders and back. The black dress she wore, made of something like velvet, was low cut and made her stand out immediately from the spectrum of colors around them. Only a band of silver and gold around the cuffs, hem, and waist relieved the dress of its somber appearance. A sparkling silver band encircled her forehead, a tiny golden sun in the middle of it. Harper was still not sure if the dress was tight or loose; it clung to her figure yet she was constantly picking up the skirt in order to walk.

"You should be careful of that stuff Seamus, you're still not entirely well."

"Don't worry babe, I have a pretty high tolerance." He replied with a grin, finishing off the glass in one swing. Esperanza watched him with a raised eyebrow.

"If you're well enough to drink, then perhaps you're well enough to dance?"

"Love to, but I don't know how."

"Oh, they're easy enough. Just follow my lead." Feeling a little dizzy Seamus stared at her open hand for several moments before feeling steady enough to grasp it.

"Why not?" And with shared laughter, he followed her onto the floor.

The drums were beating faster; all around them smiling faces of a thousand different colors and textures laughed, spoke, and sang along with the music. Despite himself, Harper smiled too. The dance was pretty easy; mostly he and Esperanza just held onto each other and turned along with the rhythm. In fact, he was pleasantly surprised to realize he was having a good time.

Then, from across the room, his eyes met Alba's. For a second their gazes held each others and then a splitting headache clouded Harper's vision.

"My Lord, what's the matter?" Esperanza clutched his shoulders in concern as Harper cried out. He tried to reassure her, to tell her that it was only a headache; probably a result of too much vin-qui, but he was incapable of doing so. Slivers of pain went through his body; it was all too much like the Trial he had gone through to become the God's Avatar in the first place.

Something was crushing his chest…he couldn't breathe even as he heard himself the screaming. The music and the laughter had stopped. A thousand pairs of eyes were on him, startled, scared, and impassive. Only Esperanza knelt at his side, frantically trying to find out what was wrong. Even as he writhed on the floor in agony a faint trembling shook the foundations of the Temple.

As quickly as it had started, the pain was gone. Too dazed to move, Harper lay still as Esperanza bent over him to keep the falling debris from covering his face. The shaking grew worse.

"Earthquake!"

"Gods have mercy upon us!"

"Mercy!"

"Blessed Mother and Father,"

People were screaming and running; in all the confusion there were only two spots of calm. The Lady Alba di Heilo stood upon the dais, unmoving, and Esperanza, kneeling at Harper's side.

Images were running through Harper's head: crushed, broken bodies, blood, screaming. He was confused and his mind went back to the time when the Perseid had downloaded similar horrible visions into his mind. Half delirious, Harper cried out over and over, names and words that Esperanza did not understand.

"Trance!Beka!Rommie! Help- get it- out of my head..!" His yells were worrying to the bard and she could not seem to comfort him. It was all she could do to keep him from being trampled in the chaotic mess that was transpiring.

So much blood…everyone dead…everyone dead…all at once Harper was silent and still in Esperanza's arms.

"Seamus! My Lord! Harper!" She cried urgently, trying to wake him up. Cold fear struck her heart at his dead weight. With trembling hands she checked his pulse and immediately said a silent prayer to the Gods. He was alive, for now.

This was all wrong, Esperanza thought desperately, what was going on…

And then everything stopped. The earth quieted and gradually the people inside the Temple did the same. Alba was already issuing orders.

"Send a group of healers to the village, there may be injuries. If everyone here is alright then-"

From across the room the High Priestess met the eyes of the bard.

"Please my Lady, The Hands of the God needs assistance, I do not know what is wrong," Esperanza pleaded loudly. Lady Alba's was smooth and unreadable as the masks worn around her.

"He is in the God's care. There is nothing to be done." She turned away and Esperanza glared at her.

"Will you not even pray for him?" She muttered sarcastically before ordering a terrified servant to go and fetch some water. "If he is in the God's care, then I suppose that makes me God." She said to herself with grim humor.

"Dylan! Come quick!" Trance's voice startled the dozing captain. Rubbing his eyes he looked around his room but did not see the purple girl.

"Andromeda, where is Trance?"

"On Command," Was the ship's reply. Instantly alert, Dylan jogged up to Command to find a worried Trance watching something on the screen.

"What is it?"

"It's a message to the other planets in the system," Trance explained hurriedly, "Andromeda intercepted it and I asked her to show me."

"Well, what does it say?" Dylan frowned at the screen, which showed a heavily dressed man speaking rapidly in a foreign language.

"I guess there was an earthquake or something in the capital"

"You guess?"

"No…I know. It was a really big one; people felt it all the way in Sibarctica, apparently. Dylan, the Empress was killed!" Trance's eyes were wide as she watched Dylan anxiously. Becoming more concerned at the sudden and strange news, Dylan went closer to the screen.

"Dylan," Trance swallowed and there was a note of panic and sincere worry that made Dylan turn and look at her with a growing sense of foreboding. For her part, Trance was trying to hold back tears. "The Empress was the last of the royal family so the Council thing decided…they decided it was a sign. An omen; that the Gods' Avatars should also be the rulers."

"What does that mean for Harper?" Dylan asked quietly, more to himself than to Trance, but she answered anyway.

"Well, it means our plan will have to be revised. They're moving to the Capital; I guess most of the palace is still ok, it was just one section that collapsed." Her voice wavered, feeling that she had let Harper down after promising to free him…

"And of course it's going to be next to impossible to get him out of there." Dylan added. Frustration coursed through him. They had been so close…why did anyone want Harper being both an emperor and a religious figure? It made absolutely no sense to Dylan, but then, no type of fanaticism ever had.

"It's never easy…" he muttered, already wondering what they were going to do.

Trance didn't hear him. She was staring into the distance trying not cry.

"I'm so sorry Harper…"

Next chap: The Tower. More twists! (sort of)


	15. The Tower

**The Cold Destiny**

I had every intention of finishing this. I really did. I still do in fact. And although I doubt many people will continue to read this story, I wanted to give an explanation for the seriously long delay; mainly due to my computer crashing. The next chapter was almost complete when I lost everything; all the saved chapters, my outlines for the plot, everything gone and I hadn't been smart enough to make some sort of backup. . So all I can continue on with is a vague memory of the plot, and some written notes. If anyone's still reading, please bear with me!

The Tower

Key Words: Misery, distress, adversity, calamity, deception, imprisonment, ruin

Seamus Zelazny Harper had been born on that mudhole known as Earth. The last place he had ever expected to find himself, apart from an antique High Guard ship like the Andromeda, was a palace, an alien palace at that.

Yet, in what couldn't have been more than a month, he had found himself stranded on a strange planet, put through a painful "religious experience" and declared to be some sort of priest. And just to make this nightmare truly bizarre, he was now expected to become Emperor of a religious-crazed solar system. It was too much. All he wanted was to return to his beloved Andromeda and the engineering rooms that waited for him.

"You should be resting." Esperanza's voice broke the silence that enveloped the room.

"I am resting." Harper replied.

"Staring outside the window isn't resting; you should be in bed. Stop sulking and look at me, Harper." She crossed the room to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"What happened to 'my Lord'?"

"You must not give up hope Harper. Or are these friends of yours less devoted than you had believed?" He didn't answer but her gaze was persistent.

"Ok, ok, fine! Yes, they're probably going to a lot of trouble to rescue me, on top of the trouble they've already been through. If I were them I would've just left me here."

"I don't believe that's true." Her tone left no room for argument. "Now, these spacious, luxurious apartments are good for very little besides relaxing, so I suggest that's what you do." It was not difficult to lead Harper from the window to the silken coverlets of his bed.

Only a few days had passed since his collapse during the earthquake; he had grown paler, dark circles were evident beneath his eyes, and despite the weight he had lost he did not seem to have any appetite. Esperanza was deeply concerned about his condition but she could not seem to shake his apathy.

"When am I going to be let out of my room?" Harper demanded, now returned to his bed.

"When I'm convinced that you can walk twenty paces without collapsing." was the curt reply. In truth, Harper was barred from leaving his chambers by Alba di Hielo, Hands of the Goddess and now Empress-to-be. For fear of depressing Harper even further, Esperanza simply told him that for now his health and the ongoing repairs to the damaged sections of the Palace made it necessary for him to remain in his quarters.

As she dimmed the lighting of the bedchamber, Harper's voice stopped her at the door.

"Esperanza, why do _you_ care what happens to me?"

"Have I given you any reason not to trust me?"

"No," he said dubiously, "but in my book, your lack of apparent selfish motives makes you even more suspicious."

"You're all alone on a strange planet. If I were you, I'd be grateful for any friend that came along." The admonishment was spoken gently, and she left him with a reassuring smile.

On board the Andromeda Ascendant, the atmosphere was filled with a gloomy tension. Rommie studied her crew with an expressionless gaze; while running through her numberless systems. It made her anxious to not have Harper here. As much as she missed his presence on a personal level, if something happened to her, Harper might be the only one capable of fixing it.

"So, Harper's no longer in Sibarctica. Now he's holed up in Herz d'Eises. How does this change our situation?" Dylan looked at the others, hoping the simple statement of facts would trigger some productive thinking.

"The city is much larger, both in population and in area, than Sibarctica. To reach the capital building at all would require navigation of the city streets, which are patrolled by police for the time being." Dylan smiled at Rommie appreciatively, though the information was less than uplifting.

Silence fell over the group. The command deck had never felt so unnatural; there should have been action of some sort. Plans of action at the very least; Rommi was a warship, she didn't like doing nothing, and after three weeks of doing nothing but worry over Harper and perform system check-ups or researching P'Laraska, she was more thana little restless.

While she had been reflecting, talk had started up among the crew once again. Tyr called for militaristic threats while Rev Bem suggested appealing to their spiritual, and therefore surely merciful,nature. Beka remained pessimistic, Trance looked downcast, and Dylan's thoughts were his own.

"Dylan, I'm receiving a hail." This news was greeted with surprise and different levels of suspicion or hope.

"Who is it?"

"They refuse to give a name but insist they must speak with you." Dylan looked at Beka curiously, who shrugged.

"Things really can't get any worse."

"I wish you wouldn't say that." Dylan muttered as Rommie let the hail through.

"Greetings, crew of the Andromeda. Captain Hunt." Dylan, Beka, and Trance stared at the face in amazement.

"Tazione Mauvaise." Dylan stated, meeting the gaze of the rebel leader who had helped to cause their current mess. The figure on screen gave an ironic bow.

"I'm honored that you remember me Captain."

"You captured one of my crew." Dylan said harshly. He was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with this man.

"Not entirely my fault, and it's not as though he's dead. On the contrary, he is in a far better position than I find myself."

"You'd consider being held against your willin a foreign land by complete strangers a 'good' position?" Tazione smiled uneasily at Beka's threatening manner.

"Ah, but his loyal friends are obviously doing all they can to rescue him, which is more than I can say for myself. Therefore I have come to offer my assistance."

"You can't expect us to trust you." Tyr spoke up. He only knew of Tazione from what Beka and Dylan had explained but in any case, the fact that he was a stranger made him untrustworthy. Tazione smiled wanly, bitterness seeping into his voice.

"I can assure you that I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by offering you my help. I desire revenge, and helping your friend to escape right from under the government's nose is a most appealing prospect."

"How exactly can someone like you help? Didn't the Empress have you imprisoned?" Trance said incredulously. Tazione's face darkened as the purple girl glared at him.

"I was released, by the graciousness of our magnanimous Lady Alba. An act of charity to 'bring our people together'. I still have many useful contacts however, including access to certain codes required to enter rooms within the Palace. These codes will be reset in a matter of days, no doubt as soon as the chaos of the coronation and reconstruction have died down."

"Are you saying that you can get us into the Palace,get Harper, and get him out without being caught? And that you'd do all this for us out of a desire for revenge?" Dylan's raised eyebrow made it clear that he was skeptical.

"At the moment, I have nothing _but_ my desire for revenge - and the remnants of a failed overthrow." Dylan looked at his crew. Did they dare trust this man? Was the chance that he could help them rescue Harper once and for all worth the risk?

Harper waited until Esperanza had left the room. For a few minutes he lay still, shivering though his face gleamed with sweat. Surely now during the night, while the Palace was mostly deserted due to construction, was the best time to escape? He had opened his door a crack during the day while Esperanza had been busy; the corridors were deserted, only the voices of builders echoing from some other hallway could be heard.

He had only a vague impression of what the outlay of the Palace was like, but he decided it was now or never. Sneak out and get as far away as possible and then….find a way to contact Andromeda. He'd think of how he'd do that exactly later. Right now, his sole concentration lay in getting out of his "gilded cage". The thought made him laugh, a sound he stifled quickly in case it drew his "bard" -for Harper was stillnot sure of her intentions- into his room.

The floor was so cold; his shivering grew stronger and he struggled to master himself. He couldn't make a mistake due to discomfort. A small voice begged him to wait and think the plan over. What if his feverish brain was missing something? Maybe he should just trust Esperanza and let her help him escape. This voice was quickly silenced at the thought of returning to the Andromeda and reuniting with his friends. He couldn't stay here any longer. His determination renewed, he opened the door to his room and stepped out.

"Oh Harper," Esperanza closed her eyes in despair. "Why, why couldn't you have waited just a little longer?" she thought to herself.

She had spent the entire day in a state of wretched anxiety. The inevitable occurred however, and she was not at allsurprisedwhen the doors were flung open and Harper was dragged back into the room, Alba di Hielo following with a troubled expression on her face. As Esperanza looked closer, the face returned to its normal impassiveness.

"Bard, I suggest you serve the Hands of the God more devotedly. Obviouslyhis displeasure at your service made him desperateenough to try and leave the Palace." Alba's voice should have been softened by the attempted facetiousness, but somehow the humor had no effect.

Harper was let go and he stumbled, a nearby chair the only thing that kept him from falling. He wouldn't meet Esperanza's eyes.

"My Lady, I assure you it is because he is not well. I'm sure Lord Harper would never seek to leave during these tumultuous days if he were recovered." Alba studied the woman's respectful demeanor, searching for a hint of falsity.

"It cannot be good for him to be wandering around then. For his health he shall be kept here under constant guard, in and out of his rooms."

"Please My Lady! Such constant observance will only agitate his mind even more, and that would be disastrous for his health; he must have complete privacy in order to fully rest and recover in time for the coronation. The people will not want to see their Emperor and the God's Avatar looking unwell." Alba narrowed her eyes, but Esperanza's humbly lowered gaze gave no hint of a threat in the words.

"Damn it! I'm not going to_be_ your freakin' Emperor! I'm done! I refuse to stay here!" Harper spun at Alba, shouting the words hoarsely. His blue eyes were bright with fever and he took a shaking step toward her threateningly. The guards looked from him to Alba uncertainly, but Esperanza raced forward at once and held him back.

"He will be kept under constant surveillance until his faith has overcome these doubts, whether they are the result of illness or otherwise. And should I find that he does not grow well under your care, you shall be removed to separate quarters, Bard." Albastated icilybefore leaving the room. Three guards took up places outsidewith tworemaining inside by the door. Esperanza glared at them as she helped Harper to the bed.

"You fool! You've only made things more difficult for yourself." He laughed at her words, barely conscious. Esperanza sighed, unable to remain truly angry at him. "Alba will not let anything, nor anyone, stand in her way. Or, as she sees it, in the Goddess' way. She doesn't realize that she has placed her faith in herself and in other mortals rather than the true Gods." Harper lay still and Esperanza studied him mournfully. When he began muttering under his breath she leaned forward to hear him. The words confused her, but they couldn't possibly mean what she thought…

"Let me go…" Harper repeated, his skin growing hot with fever. "Let me go…" And no one, not even Esperanza, could hear the voice that answered him.

I've been reviewing the past chapters to try and make sure I don't mix up any details. If I do get something confused I hope you'll forgive me. And, while I still doubt many people will bother to continue reading, I'll go ahead and state the next chapter: The Star


	16. The Star

As usual, I do not own anything related to Andromeda or its characters. Only the story and the originial characters are mine; but I'm not making any money so it doesn't really matter. Thank you if you reviewed, and I'm sorry updates are taking so long.

The Cold Destiny

The Star

Key Words: Privation, abandonment; or possibly, hope and bright prospects

Harper was dreaming. The voice that was in his head did not belong to a real person, yet nor was he talking to himself. At least, he didn't think he was talking to himself. The words, whoever was speaking them, were strange and hard to understand.

Suddenly the voice was gone, replaced by images. The Oracle -the Messir Prevoyant- speaking with Alba di Hielo, their heads bowed. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but Alba appeared overcome with awe while The Oracle was looking at her imperiously.

The vision became blurred as Esperanza's face swam before him; he heard her calling his name as though from a great distance.

"Harper you must wake up." Her anxious gaze greeted him as his eyes opened and the confusion began to clear from his mind. He tried to sit up, and collapsed at once. Luckily he was lying on the soft bed within his quarters.

"My head feels three sizes too small." He had to whisper, his throat felt like it was on fire. Esperanza handed him a cup of water and helped him to drink it. Her silvery hair was pulled back and she wore a plain brown robe instead of her usual colorful clothes

"You did a very foolish thing yesterday, but I shall forgive you. I have good news." Hope flooded Harper's being.

"Have you heard from the Andromeda? Has Trance or Beka contacted you?" Another thought occurred to him; perhaps Alba was dead. The idea brought a grim smile to his face.

"No, I'm afraid it isn't quite _that_ good. I believe I've realized why you've been unwell since your captivity." She hesitated and Harper waited for her explanation.

"I don't think you actually _passed_ the Trials. Not in the way everyone else thinks, that is."

"I thought people who didn't pass died or something?" Harper felt too ill to properly remember all the random lore he'd picked up since arriving on the planet. Esperanza gave him a wry smile, glancing at the guards that stood by the door, chatting quietly to each other.

"Well you're an unusual person aren't you? I know you don't have faith," Harper almost contradicted her, remembering the trials themselves as well as the voice that had plagued him in his sleep, but he remained silent. "And it is true that one either survives the trials by the Gods' choosing, or perishes horribly. Except in your case; I don't have all the answers, but I believe you were left alive for some other purpose than to be our God's Hands."

Harper studied her dubiously. More than anything he felt tired; even his desire to escape was being overcome by the baser need to simply rest.

"Alright, so what does that mean?"

"It means that, with my help, we can make you healthy once again. It will be much easier to escape once that is accomplished, and what time you must remain here for will no doubt be pleasanter."

"You're a very talented bard." Harper commented wryly. Esperanza just laughed.

"Tell me we do not really trust this man."

"Tyr, we're running out of options and, as you kindly keep pointing out, time. We need to re-supply Andromeda but leaving and coming back is too risky."

Tyr folded his arms and studied the impassive face of Captain Hunt. If Harper had been facing immediate death, or worse, he would have been willing to take certain risks in order to save him. However, saving Harper from a planet that worshipped him as a god was something else altogether. Any sentient being could see the opportunity Harper's position created; even a star system of superstitious fools could be used for powerful gains.

"One of us can take the Andromeda, re-fuel, and come back to get everyone else." Tyr said. He knew it was a futile suggestion, but wanted to voice the option anyway.

"No. No one else is leaving until we get Harper back. I'm tired of my crew being separated." Dylan grinned. "Besides, I need you and Rev to stay up here."

"Maybe I should go with you and Beka."

"No, I need someone besides Rev up here; I need you to stay with Andromeda." Tyr looked puzzled, unsure of what Dylan meant. "I'm not letting these people win, Tyr." Dylan said carefully. Slowly, Tyr smiled.

In exchange for detailed information concerning the palace, all Tazione asked for in return was transport off the planet. It was a simple enough request, too simple to be fully trusted. Dylan and Beka were extremely cautious therefore, as they made their way through the capital city with Trance in tow. She had insisted on coming, determined to fulfill her promise and help get Harper back to the Andromeda.

The streets were fairly crowded but nobody seemed to notice the three of them. Dylan and Beka wore heavy clothing to keep warm, and Trance had been dressed in a thick cloak with a heavy hood that kept her purple-ness from attracting unwanted attention.

"What do we do if the access codes to the delivery entrance don't work?" Trance asked quietly as they walked together through the streets.

"Assuming Tazione didn't give us the code for an alarm that alerts everyone to our uninvited presence, we make our way quietly back to the Andromeda where we instigate Plan B."

"Oh, ok." Trance said with evident relief. "What's Plan B?"

"It's…still in development." Dylan admitted after a moment.

They fell silent as a group of uniformed guards passed by, but they gave no more than a quick glance in their direction.

"Well that's a good sign; at least Tazione hasn't ratted us out yet." Beka remarked darkly.

"I thought Tyr was the pessimist." Dylan said.

They moved quickly and upon reaching the imposing gates to the palace courtyard and main entrance, turned to the right and passed through several narrow alleyways.

Then, with held breaths, they came to the gray stone door which, according to Tazione, would lead them to the servants' wing of the palace.

"Ok, ready?" Dylan asked unnecessarily before turning to the small computer keypad beside the door.

"Looks a little archaic, doesn't it?" Beka eyed the device suspiciously.

"What isn't archaic about this place?" Dylan pointed out. Then, tensed and ready for anything, he entered the code.

For the first time in weeks, Harper felt like himself again. He sat on the rich carpet by the bed with cross legs, facing Esperanza, who sat in the same position.

"How do you feel?" The words seemed to float to him; they were soft and did not interrupt his peaceful frame of mind.

"I think it's working." He opened his eyes and smiled. Esperanza smiled back, silver hair framing her face.

"That's good, because things are going to get more complicated before you are able to escape." Harper had given up questioning her on how a bard would know so much, and now he simply accepted her words gravely. The guards at the door were too far away to hear them, but Harper noticed they were watching curiously.

"They probably think they're future Emperor is crazy." Esperanza remarked, following Harper's gaze. He shuddered, closing his eyes.

"Ugh, don't say that."

"You're not crazy, Harper" Esperanza said gently.

"Not that; don't call me their 'future emperor'."

"Fine, but we must speak of it." Before Esperanza could continue, the door was opened and two servants entered, giving awkward bows. The bows were performed without the usual elegance because each servant carried a large pile of books and scrolls. Esperanza stood up at once, and Harper quickly followed suit.

"What's all this for?" He asked as the servants came forward. One of them, a pretty young woman, set the books down on a nearby desk carefully before bowing once more, performing with far more grace this time.

"Please My Lord, My Lady Alba bids us bring you these so that you might prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Beside him, Esperanza stared at the books with a frown. The servants exchanged looks at Harper's question, apparently unsure of how to answer.

"Why, to prepare yourself as Emperor, My Lord. So you may better understand our laws." The other servant spoke up before setting his load down next to the girl's.

Once the servants were gone, Esperanza drew Harper aside with a troubled expression.

"This is most unexpected."

"You mean something actually surprised you?" The bard ignored his wry comment.

"Why would Alba do something like this? If you remain ignorant of this land and its laws, you are far easier to control as a puppet. It doesn't make sense."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. But hopefully it won't really matter; hopefully I'll be gone soon." Still shaking her head in confusion, Esperanza, still looking flustered, interjected absentmindedly.

"Did I tell you that you must choose a bride, Harper?"

"Excuse me?" This was said loud enough that the guards came towards them. Harper quickly waved them off and turned back to Esperanza.

"You did not say what I just thought you said. Obviously you were speaking that weird language…"

"No, it is customary for the Emperor and Empress, if they are not married to each other, to choose partners. Why do you think Cielde was in such a difficult position when you came? She was being pressed to marry and share power, so she diverted attention away from the matter until she could find a way to rule single-handedly. Perhaps I am mistaken, however; it is possible that as you and Alba are the Hands of the Gods as well, you will not marry."

"I think I'm feeling sick again." Harper said.

Dylan was beginning to think that they had been wrong about Tazione. They made their way through the stone corridors without being seen, just as the former rebel leader had claimed they would.

"I guess he was right, everyone's still busy rebuilding the part that collapsed." Beka observed cautiously. The doors they passed were closed and barred, and only the distant sound of voices and footsteps kept them from relaxing.

"Ok, we should be right beneath the room where they're keeping Harper. Beka, you and I will head up those stairs; Harper's room should be right around the corner. Trance, you follow but stay a little farther behind in case something goes wrong." Trance nodded nervously and Beka gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. In a few minutes we'll be dragging Harper back to the Andromeda where we can yell at him at our leisure for causing so much trouble." Trance gave a short laugh before Beka and Dylan sprinted to the stairs.

Taking a deep breath, Trance waited until they were just out of sight, and then followed. She stopped at the head of the stairs and watched as, farther down the hall, Dylan and Beka entered the access code and stepped inside. After a few moments, Trance followed with a smile.

Then there were sounds of shouting. Trance heard Beka's voice saying "Get out of here!" loudly, and Trance knew it was meant for her. Feeling wholly disheartened and fearful for her friends, she turned and raced down the stairway.

The hallways all looked the same and in her panic, she realized that she must have gone the wrong way. The door to the outside was not where it should have been. She slowed herself, trying to remain calm and think carefully. As she turned around a corner she walked into a guard. Sure that she had failed her friends, Trance prepared to turn and run once more, when the young man laughed and apologized.

"Forgive me Madam, I did not see you." He was looking at her curiously but did not seem about to arrest her.

"No, it was my fault, I'm lost." She said with a nervous laugh. He nodded, smiling as if a thought had just occurred to him.

"Indeed you are. The participants in the ceremony are supposed to be in the Great Hall."

"Which ceremony?" Trance asked, her fear beginning to fade.

"The one you are here for, I'm sure. There aren't any others going on. Your outfit is smart; you're sure to be noticed with your face hidden like that." The young man said kindly. Trance was barely listening; her thoughts were far away and her voice sounded much older, startling the young guard, as she asked him to show her the way.

She would find a way to keep her promise yet.

Thanks for reading. Next chapter: The Moon


	17. The Moon

The Cold Destiny

The Moon

Key Words: Hidden enemies, danger, darkness, error, deception

Dylan cursed himself for a fool, filled with helpless anger at Tazione's betrayal. He and Beka were on their knees, hands tied behind their backs. Before them, dressed in brilliantly white robes, stood Alba, her gaze resting on the Captain triumphantly. And, standing behind a row of armed guards, was Harper, his expression difficult to read.

"So sparing Tazione Mauvais's life turned out to be profitable after all. Indeed, the Gods work in strange ways." The High Priestess and soon-to-be Empress mused.

"It figures that he's the type that values money over revenge." Beka said through gritted teeth. She looked up at Harper, trying to convey silently that they would get him out of there yet. He met her gaze but she didn't think he was really looking at her.

"Let them go." Harper said suddenly. He tried to move past the guards but they held him back. Alba turned slowly, a look of amusement on her face.

"My Lord, you do not understand, these people wished you kidnap you; out of confused feelings of affection, no doubt, but they would nevertheless have taken you from your destiny." She affected a respectful nod and turned back in a gesture of dismissal.

"No!" Harper shouted. His blood felt like it was on fire. Esperanza's meditation had made him feel well again and his newfound strength was fueled by frustration and weeks of anger. Where the bard was at the moment, he didn't know; her last words, before the commotion had broken out, were to stay quiet and to trust that everything would work out for the best. Well, Harper was done following other people's designs for him.

"No!" He said again. The guards shifted uneasily and Alba, her face pale with indignation, turned to him once again. "It is _not my _destiny! You and the Prévoyant have been planning this out from the beginning! You're not an Avatar of the Gods; you're just a power-hungry tyrant! Now let them go!"

Alba waved the guards away and moved to stand in front of Harper. Her eyes glittered like onyx but he no longer felt frightened of her. To his surprise, she smiled at him.

"I see you are still not well my Lord. Or do you really think that I and the Prévoyant, who is simply the leader of a legislative body, have the power to cause an earthquake?"

"Just a legislative body? What happened to him being an 'oracle'?" Dylan muttered to Beka. She shrugged but kept her eyes fixed on Harper, hoping he knew what he was doing.

"You tell me, Oh-Hands-of-the-Goddess." Harper snorted. "All I know is that you've been manipulating me and everyone else to get what you want -more power- ever since I arrived. I guess the earthquake, like me coming here, was just a lucky coincidence for you." Alba was silent, displaying no anger. She studied him for a long while before finally speaking, her voice softer than before.

"You are wrong, Seamus Harper. I have never desired power. I only follow the will of the Gods as best I can." Abruptly she turned back to Dylan and Beka as the guards moved to surround the two of them.

"And right now the Gods' will is perfectly clear. Any attempt at harming one of the Chosen must be resolved by payment. In blood."

"I won't let you hurt them." Once again Harper's voice had changed. He sounded confidant but there was an edge of fear to his voice.

"Harper, it's ok." Dylan started to say. "We'll be fine, trust us-"

"You can't hurt them if I don't allow it." Harper said again, ignoring Dylan, who glared at his engineer.

"Harper you'd better know what you're doing…" Beka muttered under her breath, casting an anxious glance at Dylan, who shrugged helplessly.

"Just what are you trying to say?" Alba asked rigidly. Harper smiled grimly, folding his arms.

"I've been doing some research with the material you were thoughtful enough to send to me." At this Beka and Dylan exchanged worried glances; Harper _researching_?

"Then you know what I say is true." Alba replied impatiently. "They must be punished, and the payment is blood."

"Oh yes, that's true." Harper's smile had become fixed, his eyes cold. But Beka could tell that he was struggling hard to maintain his nonchalant composure. "But it doesn't have to be_ their_ blood. Instead of executing them," He began to speak loudly, so that the guards could hear him as well. "I will show them Divine Mercy by taking their punishment myself. You can't kill me…but I can still pay the blood owed."

Alba stared at him with a shocked expression. Even as his heart beat wildly with fear, Harper couldn't help feeling a twinge of satisfaction at the look on her face.

"You foolish, foolish boy." Alba said softly. Harper smirked, giving a one-shouldered shrug.

"Guess I'm not the dumb pawn you thought I was."

"No, Harper, you're even stupider than we thought!" Beka said loudly. Harper glanced at her.

"Beka listen to me, this is the only way…" But even as he spoke, Beka shook her head.

"No Harper, it's not…" She couldn't say anymore, and the intensity of her gaze puzzled Harper.

"It's too late to decide what you should or should not do. Once you invoke Divine Mercy, it must be seen through." Alba said harshly. "I hope you do not regret saving the life of your friends." She added. At her order the guards moved to escort Dylan and Beka out of the room.

"Where are you taking them?"

"They shall be imprisoned until their crime has been punished. Before that takes place I suggest you go to the Main Hall."

"What's in the Main Hall?" asked Harper suspiciously.

"A ceremony that would be far less pleasant to perform after you're act of generosity has taken place." Was Alba's reply. They left, Dylan and Beka casting looks over their shoulder at Harper, who watched them go without moving.

"Esperanza?" He said out loud. The woman did not appear. Rubbing his neck nervously, he allowed the remaining guard to lead the way to the Main Hall.

The stone hall was as drafty and intimidating as the last time Harper had entered it. Only a few short weeks ago, though it felt like an eternity, Harper had followed Tyr and Dylan through the graceful arches to meet the Empress Cielde Scintillement. Now people were hurrying throughout the room, calling out to each other, repeating orders, carrying deliveries. While Harper's quarters had always been so silent, the rest of the Palace was busily preparing for a coronation and rebuilding the fallen wing.

Just as Harper noticed the long line of colorfully dressed women, Esperanza appeared at his side.

"Is everything all right?" She asked him in a low voice.

"Yeah, um, fine." He wondered if she knew about his confrontation with Alba and his decision to save his friends.

"You're looking rather pale, are you feeling ill again?" Esperanza brushed a cool hand against his forehead and he stepped away, shaking his head.

"Yup, that faith-healer voodoo stuff is still working. What's all this?" He nodded towards the row of women. Esperanza smiled ruefully.

"They are all lovely young women who hope to become your bride."

"My _what_?" Somehow, after what he'd just gone through with Alba, Dylan, and Beka, the absurdity of his situation was harder to bear. Seeing that he was on the verge of hysteric laughter, Esperanza frowned and placed a hand on his shoulder to steer him towards the beginning of the line.

"Relax Harper. This is a traditional ceremony, not a binding contract. And it's probably the most painless one you'll have to go through before this is over." Harper shuddered but she continued without comment. "Trust me Harper. This could all be for the best." She muttered before nudging him towards the first girl. Before he could protest she had stepped away, fading into a gathering crowd of people arriving to watch.

Feeling his face turn bright red, Harper glanced awkwardly at the girl in front of him. She smiled shyly in return. Her dark blue gown was the exact color of her eyes and she was about his height. Any other day, Harper found himself thinking, any other freakin' time of the year, and this would be like some kind of dream come true…even if the girls weren't interested in him for his mind, humor, or even his looks…

With a heavy sigh, Harper decided to get this over with as quickly as possible. _"Painless"_ he thought wryly, _painless my butt… _As quickly as he could, he made it down the line of girls, but before he could give a quick apologetic grin to the last girl in line, he noticed something funny about her.

Was that a tail?

"Psst, Harper, it's me."

"Trance!" He exclaimed, his voice dropping as she hushed him frantically.

"We can't let anyone know you know me! Where are Dylan and Beka? Are they all right?"

"They're fine, and so am I, thanks for asking." He added, feeling a little hurt at her business-like manner. She hadn't even bothered to raise the hood of her cloak so that she could see him.

"Oh Harper! You have no idea how worried I've been about you! So don't you dare…" Her voice caught and she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry Trance, you're right." Harper wanted to apologize further, feeling guilty about his words, but she didn't let him continue.

"We don't have time for that right now Harper. You have to kiss my hands and then escort me back to your room."

"Say that again?" Trance thrust her hands out in front of her, and Harper had to fight the urge to giggle in a manic way. Knowing he had no reason to feel embarrassed, Harper still managed to blush a shade or two darker than before as he quickly placed what he hoped was a chivalric kiss on each of her violet hands. Behind him there was cheering and clapping, and Harper waved an appreciative hand weakly.

"What are you doing? Let's go." Trance tugged at his hand and urged him forward. Soon they were practically racing down the corridors and back to his quarters.

"I forgot about Esperanza! Was she following us?" Catching his breath, Harper glanced at the door.

"I think she'll be here in awhile; if she followed us so quickly it might look strange." Trance answered. She finally had pushed back the hood and was grinning broadly at her friend. For a moment they both just stood there, smiling at each other. Then Harper swept the purple girl into a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're here Trance."

"Uh huh, sure you are. I saw you eyeing that blonde girl…" She teased him, and then laughed as he stuttered a protest.

"Trance, Dylan and Beka should be fine, but Alba has them imprisoned. She's supposed to let them go…after…"

"Harper what have you done?" Esperanza burst into the room, evidently having rushed there as quickly as she could.

"There was no other way. She was going to have Beka and Dylan killed." Harper said tersely, glancing at Trance as he spoke.

"You really doubted your friends' capabilities that much?"

"Why are you mad at me for saving my friends?" Harper said, angry now at Esperanza's patronizing tone. "Who made you my babysitter anyway? Why should I even trust you?"

"You really feel the need to question my loyalty after all that I've done for you?"

"What's going on?" Trance demanded, interrupting their heated argument.

"I agreed to accept punishment in Dylan and Beka's place. Their…their blood payment, or whatever." He said hurriedly. Trance's eyes widened as her tail swished dangerously behind her.

"I don't understand. What are they going to do to you?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Harper, prepare yourself, Alba will arrive in a few minutes." Esperanza told him darkly. She had changed, Harper suddenly realized, into long black pants and a black tunic. Her hair was tied into a bun that gleamed like ice. The new outfit made her look much younger than she had seemed recently.

"What, are you planning on robbing a bank or something?" He asked her, distracted for the moment from the thought of Alba's approach.

"Why should I tell you? You have no reason to trust my answer anyway." She replied curtly. Giving a quick nod to Trance, Esperanza darted out the door.

"You know her?" Trance frowned at the empty doorway but answered his question.

"She saw me when I was waiting to in line with the other girls. We talked for a little while. I'd trust her if I were you, Seamus." She said sternly. The sounds of footsteps prevented any further questions.

A moment later Alba di Hielo, in grimly impressive robes and a complicated head dress, followed by two columns of richly attired men and women, priests and priestess if Harper recognized the outfits, stood in the doorway.

"Lord Seamus, we present ourselves to you so that we may assist in your dispensation of Divine Mercy. Is this acceptable?" Harper nodded, his throat suddenly dry.

"Yes, it is."

"Then please come with us." Alba was looking at him with a mixture of contempt and anger. Unable to meet her gaze, Harper instead looked at Trance, giving her a weak grin.

"I would've worn my fancy outfit if I'd known there was going to be an audience." Trance didn't laugh at his poor attempt at a joke.

"May I come? I'm his chosen bride." Trance stated to Alba without hesitation, even as Harper blinked at the term. Alba's eyes narrowed as she recognized the purple girl.

"If you are truly his intended then yes, it is your privilege to attend. However should you seek to stop the ceremony or to release your friends, you will be imprisoned yourself. Is that understood?'

"Yes." Trance said. In grim silence, she followed Harper as they were led out of the room.

What followed next was pain. A lot of it. After losing count of the number of staircases they had gone down, they were taken to a circular room without any light. Harper felt himself shiver uncontrollably in the frigid air. Trance's comforting presence was like a beacon of warmth and light as she stayed by his side. She pressed one hand to his face before being pulled away to stand behind the circle formed by the priests.

Dylan and Beka, blindfolded and their hands tied, were brought in as well. Harper's mouth was too dry to speak even if he had wanted to say anything to them. He wished that they weren't present, but apparently had no say in the matter. At least they were still alive.

The wall they tied him against was colder than the air. It almost felt comforting. The ceremony began without any speeches or prayers. Without any warning he felt his back explode in hot red pain, blood oozing down his flesh. He almost wanted to laugh; whipping? That was their horrific act of Divine Mercy? These people must have been direct descendants of Earth's crazy fanatics…how had these people ever managed space travel? Harper's laughter died before it began, as another stinging lash cut at him.

Some time later he felt himself slipping into a darkness that was familiar. A voice that he recognized filled his mind, crying out in anger, questioning; but Harper had no answers. The voice was too loud and Harper thought his head would split open. As predictable and steady as the ticking of a clock, the lashes continued, cutting into his back, shoulders, and legs, increasing the agony.

The voice began to roar, ignoring Harper's pleas to be quiet. And slowly the voice receded, one last word echoing in the painful recesses of his mind.

_Death….**Death…**DEATH…_

A/N: Again, thanks for reviewing. I'm sorry about the delay between updates. Just when I finally start to give up permanently, someone reviews and I find myself guilt-ridden and compelled to write more. I haven't watched the show in awhile so I hope the characters still seem like themselves. (I know Harper is probably not his usual self, but as you can probably gather, he's not supposed to be at this point) Happy Holidays all! I really do intend to post the next chapter within the month! The next chapter will be titled: The Sun


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